Sleep Apnea & Snoring

Sleep apnea is a relatively common condition that affects your breathing during sleep. Sufferers periodically stop breathing properly (or sometimes all together) during the night, making it a serious and potentially dangerous condition because of danger in the form of oxygen deprivation. Significant problems can result from the oxygen deprivation of sleep apnea, including heart disease, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, and learning/memory problems.

While not all snores have sleep apnea, snoring may be a potential indicator that your airways are partially or completely blocked while you sleep and that you, therefore, have sleep apnea.

• Large tonsils or adenoids or other anatomical differences
• The shape of the head and neck may create a smaller than normal airway
• Being overweight or obese (although many people with obstructive sleep apnea are not obese)
• Throat muscles and tongue relax more than normal during sleep
• Snoring – Snoring can cause the soft palate to become inflamed and swollen, which in turn can obstruct the airway
• Smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke
• Nasal congestion, nasal blockages, and nasal irritants
• Family history of sleep apnea
• Other physical conditions, disorders, and syndromes

• Severely reduced cognitive performance
• Increased risk for vehicular and industrial accidents
• Daytime sleepiness
• Reduced immune system responsiveness
• Decreased productivity
• Slower reaction time

As general dentists, we often see the associated physical symptoms of OSA, like wear on teeth from clenching and grinding, as well as the effects on the tissue in the mouth. Although continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the most recommended treatment for patients with chronic OSA, compliance levels have been shown to be quite low. This is because the CPAP machine can be cumbersome to travel with, bulky, noisy, and uncomfortable to wear. At Odeon Dental, we offer an alternative to the CPAP.