Westerville Sleep Apnea

Published on August 28, 2021, Updated on February 28, 2022

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder, mainly indicated during sleep by loud snoring. It is distinguished for only a few seconds or even several minutes in time by blockade or pauses in breathing during sleep. The respiratory stoppage frequency, also known as apnea, can be more than 30 times an hour. More than half of Americans over the age of 40 are estimated to have sleep apnea. Men also suffer more than women, and with age the incidence increases. Genetics can also play a role in sleep apnea disease development. The oxygen supply to the essential organs decreases as breathing disorders or disruptions during sleep apnea. As a result that, the functions of body repair are not fulfilled during sleep and the person does not rest well when waking up. It can also trigger muscle pain, such as back, neck, or shoulder pain, which makes it even harder to sleep. Large tonsils and adenoids in the upper airway are the common cause of sleep apnea. Crooked teeth can also cause sleep apnea because it not only contributes to oral health problems but also to overall health problems. In many cases, the overcrowding of teeth in patients with small jaws can lead to respiratory difficulties. Sleep apnea was also connected to vision, irritation, and discomfort causing eye disorders. Temmandibular joint (TMJ), or TMD and hypothyroidism, also involve sleep apnea problems. TMDs are often the result of genetics, arthritis, or jaw injury and can cause discomfort or pain while chewing while sleeping apnea may be increased by tongue enlargement or interruption of the muscles controlling the upper airways.

However, a deviated septum cannot cause sleep apnea, but it helps to uncover it. Deviated septum occurs when the septum is basically crooked, reducing the nasal flow of an individual and causing difficulty breathing. Some online medical sources claim that an abnormal septum can cause sleep apnea by restricting your upper airway nasal passage. What really happens in such cases is that the patient is already blocked in the airway and exacerbated by the obstructed nasal passage.

There are a few speculations that tooth removal can cause sleep apnea because it reduces the jaw of the patient by forcing the tongue into the mouth and into the airway. Similarly, some believe that extracting teeth can change facial and TMD/TMJ characteristics promptly. Further review and study however show otherwise. The attributes of the face and skull can make sleep apnea even more common. The danger of sleep apnea may be greater if patients with small or decreasing mandibular and chin, lower jaws, or tight upper jaws. These qualities, however, are not linked to tooth extraction. It won’t cause sleep apnea even if you have your wisdom tooth extracted. However, when you get an extraction, certain other problems may arise. Post-operative tooth extraction complications can cause alveolar osteitis (also known as dry socket). The alveolar bone is inflamed when this is done. In turn, sleep apnea is not caused in root canal treatment. This type of therapy is nevertheless commonly used to protect a damaged tooth and other tooth complications, including dental abscesses.

A short explanation for therapy: The soft tissue called the dental pulp is underneath your teeth, white enamel, and a tough layer called dentin. If the pulp gets infected by bacteria, it causes constant discomfort, pain, and loss of teeth. Root canal treatment has been designed to remove and save your infected tooth from bacteria.

Symptoms

Snoring – Loud and chronic snoring are the most common symptoms of sleep apnea. A gasp is often interrupted by snoring, but the patient is still asleep. The sleep condition of the patient may be shifted from deep to light sleep. Snoring does not necessarily mean sleep apnea, however. Sometimes your sinus is involved. You will inhale your normal reflection through your nose when you sleep. Your swollen sinus will instead force you to inhale through your mouth if you have sinusitis. The soft tissue hangs down on the back of your throat, also called the gravel, and when you sleep, your soft palate loosens. When the tissue blocks your airways, it could cause negative pressure behind the soft palate to vibrate and rub your soft tissue.

The patient is not aware of this since it happens during sleep. It is often someone who notices snoring in the vicinity.

Drowsing – Something else that can indicate sleep apnea is daytime drowsiness due to reduced oxygen supply during sleep. Yawning and fighting off drowsiness during the day can indicate sleep apnea.

Teeth grinding (Bruxism) – Studies have shown that several people with sleep apnea are likely to mow their teeth. This is because the body stresses accordingly, when our air passages are obstructed. These stress hormones pass through the bloodstream and cause the muscles of the jaw to take hold. This muscular tightening causes the teeth to grind. You can see tooth attrition or tooth wear during an assessment. You may also have broken teeth that are not associated with injury or trauma. Molten teeth may harm periodontal tissue, cause migraine and consistent jaw pain if they do not receive treatment.

Minor Symptoms – Other minor symptoms related to sleep apnea include one or more of:

• Loss of memory and absence of focus

• Irritability, depression and possible changes in mood

• When we wake up, dry mouth

• Dehydration

• Eating and orofacial pain in the morning (pain in the mouth or face)

• Often waking up at night to urinate

• Obesity

Sleep Apnea in Kids

Children may be affected in various ways by sleep apnea. Often they show hyperactivity outbreaks and sudden laziness. Academic success can be adversely affected and children very often exhibit opposite behavior. Children with sleep apnea disorder may also be accustomed to breathing through the nose all day. The National Sleep Foundation says that up to 2-3 percent of US sleep apnea is suffering, with the incidence in children who snorkel in sleep nearly 10-20 percent.

Do You have Sleep Apnea?
You will get an initial judgment on whether you should see the doctor about sleep apnea with your answers to these questions. Answering your or your child’s questions will help you to feel if sleep apnea affects your child or you. It is highly suggested that you visit a doctor for sleep apnea if your answers to these first two questions are positive. If you have one or more Q3 and later symptoms, you will most likely have sleep apnea. A short questionnaire is available below:

Q1. Have you been told that you snore by family or by someone sleeping near you?

Q2. Are you frequently sleepy throughout the day, especially when tasks are not very concentrated?

Q3. Wake up often during the night from sleep?

Q4. Are you yeasting too often?

Q5. Wake up early in the morning with a headache?

Q6. Do you feel depressed or opposed sometimes for no obvious reason?

Q7. Do you have problems with your memory or loss of focus during the day?

Q8. Is in the morning your mouth dry?

Q9. Have you had high blood pressure?

Q10. Are you obese or overweight?

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea interrupts your respiration and minimizes your oxygen supply. Even in infants, this may have serious consequences. It can even increase your risk for cardiac illness, arrhythmia, stroke, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis in adults. Due to the lack of effective night rest, a person can definitely reduce energy levels. Thus you should talk with your physician for a sleep apnea diagnosis if the answers to the above questions are positive. He or she is going to look at your family history and do a physical exam and then refer you to a specialist in sleep apnea.

A doctor cannot detect sleep apnea by physical examination immediately. You may be asked to study your sleep if your physician believes that you may be suffering from mild to severe sleep apnea. The most accurate diagnosis of sleep apnea is through sleep studies. Multiple sensors are available in polysomnograms (PSG) for monitoring relevant sleep parameters. It usually measures the activity of the brain, eye, snoring, airflow in the nose, blood pressure, oxygen level, heart rates, etc. In a sleep apnea clinic, the PSG is easy and painless often. However, for home sleep studies, a similar portable tool can be used. This device is less sophisticated and most of the parameters are measured.

Although cephalometric analysis is a crucial technique for analyzing craniofacial anomalies, the primary imaging approaches used to examine possible causes for sleep apnea, which are mostly multifactorial, have been CT scanning and MRI. Although X-ray is an alternative, magnetic resonance imaging, and CT scanning both allow for an excellent evaluation of the different anatomical planes of the blockage site.

When suspected of the existence of sleep apnea, the anesthesiologist should determine if the patient is through a prior sleep trial and should analyze the outcome if it is true. Dental patients with sleep apnea should be completely careful in using sedatives because constantly limited or complete upper airways blocks could cause hypoxia during medication sleep. In sleep apnea sufferers, hypoxia associated with breathing aggravations can trigger the formation of free radicals from oxygen. Several studies suggest that sleep apnoea has a relationship with oxidative stress and that people with this disorder have a change in their antioxidant defenses.

Sedation dentistry may alleviate a portion of your pain and dental anxiety for individuals who do not have dental professionals such as plaque. In individuals with sleep apnea, however, usage of sedation is limited. In addition, general anesthesia could be dangerous for sleep apnea patients. Anesthesia is particularly crucial due to the condition that restricts your respiration. In addition, sleep apnea might make it harder to regain awareness and take a breath following a medical operation.

Sleep Apnea Treatments

Various sleep apnea levels and types necessitate various treatments.
Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may vary. With just minor lifestyle modifications, mild apnea can only improve: By eliminating smoke and alcohol, lowering weight, avoiding chocolate before you sleep or sleep on your side, this condition can be improved. The symptoms may also be relied upon with a proper fitness routine and stretching activities. With medication, you can also keep your airways open. In addition, even if it may surprise a bit, studies have indeed demonstrated that a higher-than-average daily intake of caffeine enhances cognitive performance in OSA patients. Sometimes, doctors also recommend caffeine to early childhoods to reduce apnea episodes during sleep. Severe sleep apnea treatment may, on the other hand, require breathing equipment (for example CPAP) or oral appliances, from affordable, off-the-board to customized dental appliances, operation (required recovery, healing, and postoperative healing) or oral appliances, for example, sleep apnea. All of these measures may help with the obstructive treatment of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a well-known problem that is frequently associated with cardiovascular illness (CVD). One suggestion to clarify the association suggests that OSA can produce systemic inflammation and thereby cause CVD. This particular complication should therefore be managed accordingly.

Central sleep apnea (CSA) must address the fundamental cause and address breathing impairments. CPAP, bi-level PAP, adaptive servo medication, and medications can be involved in these treatments.

CPAP Treatment

For sleep apnea, different treatment approaches may be investigated. The most widely utilized treatment for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea for adults was CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). Some studies also advocate CPAP sleep apnea treatment to improve PTSD symptoms such as nightmares, trauma, and uncomfortable conditions.
How CPAP Treatment Works? – A CPAP machine breathes the air through a mask carried over your mouth and nose automatically. The pressure maintains the airways open and clear and provides a greater flow of oxygen. A competent sleep specialist must prescribe the CPAP.

What are the Steps Involved? – Usually the expert will send the equipment to your house to set it up for you, based on the findings of your sleep tests. With CPAP snoring and symptoms connected to oxygen depletion, improved energy level and overall quality of life can be effectively reduced or eliminated. It must, however, be continuously used according to medical recommendations. Too soon stopping could lead to a return of symptoms.
However, it is not appropriate for all to treat CPAP. It may lead some people to symptoms such as dry or stuffy nose, skin or face, dry mouth, or even headaches. The abnormal stomach bloating may occur if a CPAP machine is set up wrongly. Although the mask is not uncomfortable, there are those who are not comfortable with it. The machine is also large and can be cumbersome. There are uncommon occurrences in which an atypical facial pain (AFP) in connection with the air diffusing from the CPAP interface occurs in an ectopic third maxillary molar.

Somnodent

Modern dentistry offers a highly successful and cost-effective alternative for obstructive sleep apnea treatment with the provision of sleep apnea oral equipment that is free from surgery and does not cause pain. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the oral cavity. The throat and the tongue may return to partially or entirely restrict the airways. A single plastic oral device that your sleep apnea dentist fits on your throat can avoid this.
The ‘Somnodent’ is a very effective oral gadget, which is tailored to your throat. The dentist will measure your oral cavity in the dental office for this purpose. The device is customized for you to make it convenient and simple to fit according to the measures your dentist provides. It consists of two dental plates that resemble a gym. During sleep, the gadget must be worn and the airways clear. This oral device has lately acquired appeal due to its different qualities.
The device can be easily adapted and will only cause pain in rare circumstances. Almost 90% of patients are delighted with the quality of life improvement and use this gadget. It doesn’t hinder oral movements like speech, smiling, pregnancy, mouth opening or shutting. It can be adjusted and the mandible moved to eliminate the blockage as needed. Somnodent also benefits by being able to combine its use with the CPAP machine.
However, after you have chosen to use a dental appliance and need a new dental crown or bridge, it might be difficult. It, fortunately, decreases the complexities of the procedure in the application of new dental crowns and bridges considerably, thanks to the ongoing development of computerized design and computerized manufacture (CAD / CAM).

Sleep Apnea Treatment at Oral Health Center Dental Care Westerville

Schedule an appointment today with our dental office in Westerville, Ohio. Dr Banga is a Diplomate of the American Board of  Dental Sleep Medicine at our office to provide the best sleep apnea treatment for you.

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