Those who suffer from a condition called “sleep apnea” will stop breathing, anywhere from a few seconds to minutes, during the night. This condition causes the individual to have broken sleep, headaches upon awakening, snoring when asleep as well as having a detrimental impact on the person’s memory. Lincoln Park dentists can deal with this condition by fitting the patient with a special mouth guard that helps the person breath properly when sleeping.
Depending on the severity of the situation the airway may be partial closed or fully closed; those who are most prone to sleep apnea are those with a short neck, the elderly or those who are grossly overweight.
If the airway is only partly closed the individual will usually snore quite loudly. This happens because the muscles in the mouth and nose relax; this in turn tends to block the passage of air. As all there is left to breathe is a greatly reduced opening right in the back of the mouth, the tongue vibrates which causes the snoring sound.
In many cases a medical doctor will be involved; the doctor may very well suggest that the patient use a positive air pressure device. This device consists of an assistance machine and a face mask fitted with a tube that is inserted into the person’s mouth during the night. These machines, although they work, are quite noisy and uncomfortable; as a result they turn to their Lincoln Park dentists to fit them with a sleep apnea mouth guard.
Types of mouth guards:
Sleep apnea mouth guards are available either as fixed or adjustable versions. A fixed jaw device keeps the lower jaw in a single position. With this device the jaw muscles are moved slightly away from the throat, this three or four mm of space is often enough to overcome the problem.
An adjustable sleep apnea mouth guard is one which can be adjusted to change the position of the lower jaw as the muscles relax and stretch over time. The adjustable device is two pieces; they fit the upper and lower parts of the mouth. The adjustable device is thought to improve the wearer’s ability to breathe over a longer period of time.
Sleep apnea is a condition that must be diagnosed by medical personnel. Although snoring is an indication of the condition it is not the only thing that causes it so self-diagnosis is not recommended. Never purchase a sleep apnea mouth guard from anyone other than your Lincoln Park dentists as they must be fitted to the individual’s unique mouth configuration.
If you find yourself waking frequently during the night or you keep your partner asleep with your snoring you may suffer from sleep apnea. If you are looking for Lincoln Park dentists that can can create a custom mouth guard that can help you get the undisturbed sleep you need you are invited to contact Chicago Smile Design.
