Sleep Apnea
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea describes a sleep disorder in which a person regularly stops breathing during sleep. There are two common forms of sleep apnea:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
By far the most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. In obstructive sleep apnea, the soft tissues of the throat and mouth collapse during sleep and physically obstruct the airway. When air is able to get through this restricted airway, these tissues vibrate and cause obstructive sleep apnea's most notorious symptom: snoring. Dentists like Dr. Michael D. Haight in Albuquerque offer patients relief from sleep apnea through oral appliance therapy.
Central Sleep Apnea
The rarest form of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea. In central sleep apnea, the brain fails to signal the body's muscles to breathe. This is a complex neurological condition that requires the attention of sleep specialists.
How can a dentist help you sleep?
Sleep Soundly through the Night
People with sleep apnea are at a higher risk of developing serious health issues. At Parkway Dental, our doctors help patients overcome sleep apnea. Treatment options include CPAP therapy and oral appliance therapy.
Open Your Airways with Custom-Made Oral Appliances
Patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea can find relief through the advanced oral appliances offered at Parkway Dental in Albuquerque, NM. These custom-made devices, known as mandibular advancement splints, move your jaw forward during the night so that your upper airway stays unobstructed and you are able to breathe normally and peacefully. Your bed partner will be especially grateful when you start using a custom-made oral device, because it can greatly reduce your snoring!
See how oral appliances can treat obstructive sleep apnea...
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include:
- Extreme exhaustion
- Forgetfulness
- Difficulty staying awake while driving
- Irritability
- Trouble focusing
- Weight gain
- Extreme daytime sleepiness
- Headaches in the mornings
- Having a very sore throat or dry mouth in the morning
- Loud snoring
- Waking up to a gasping or choking sensation
Start Your Journey Towards a Good Night's Sleep Request a Consultation Today
Does your bed partner complain about your snoring? Do you wake up feeling unrested and struggle with excessive daytime sleepiness? If so, you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Fortunately, the dentists at Parkway Dental in Albuquerque, NM, can offer relief.
To find out if oral appliance therapy is right for your sleep disorder, request a consultation with our dentists today. During a sleep apnea consultation, our doctors will listen to your symptoms, examine your throat muscles and bite, and potentially arrange an at-home sleep study so we can diagnose your condition.
To request a consultation, fill out our online form or call:
(505) 298-7479
Patients Love Us We Have Over 200 5-Star Reviews
Janeen Miller
2020
Dr. Haight and the team at Parkway Dental are wonderful! Always professional, prompt, and kind, and they use the most modern dentistry technologies and safety protocols. Highly recommend.
Kendra Myers
2020
Everyone at Parkway Dental is so warm and welcoming. The staff is knowledgeable and professional and they provide the highest level of care!
Is treating sleep apnea really necessary?
Over a Lifetime, Sleep Apnea Can Drastically Impact Your Health
In addition to making normal daily activities, such as a long commute, significantly more difficult, sleep apnea is also connected to more serious longterm health problems, like depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes. These issues lessen your quality of life but could even shorten your lifespan. In order to protect your health, it is essential that you begin treatment as soon as possible.
Treatment Can Provide Dramatic Improvements
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea with an At-Home Sleep Study
While our dentists in Albuquerque, NM, are able to provide relief from obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy, we are not legally allowed to diagnose the condition. To officially diagnose your disorder as sleep apnea, a sleep study must be conducted and analyzed by a doctor specializing in sleep disorders.
In the past, sleep studies could only be conducted by having the patient spend the night in a specialized sleep center. At Parkway Dental, however, we offer an innovative alternative that allows you to collect the necessary data of your sleep patterns from the comfort of your own home and your own bed.
After you visit us for a sleep apnea consultation, we can provide you with a device that will measure your breathing and your vitals during the night. We can download this data and send it to a sleep specialist so you can receive a confident diagnosis of your sleep disorder. If, as is usually the case, you are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, we can begin treatment with an oral appliance.
Treatment Helps You... and Your Partner
More Five-Star Reviews "Always the Best!"
Toni Kram
2020
You guys are always the best! You take care of every little detail and keep me smiling. What a great team
Suraj Dure
2020
Extremely friendly, Informative and very knowledgeable staff. Attention to every details. I would recommend everyone to go there.
Who Is at Risk for Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea affects millions of Americans, but some people are more at risk than others. People who may have a higher risk of sleep apnea include:
- People over 40
- People who have type 2 diabetes
- People who are overweight
- Men
- People who smoke
- People who have frequent nasal congestion
- People with a family history of sleep apnea
Alternatives to Oral Appliance Therapy
In some cases, obstructive sleep apnea can be treated through simple lifestyle changes. If you don't want to use one of the oral appliances we offer at our dental office in Albuquerque, NM, you may consider changing your sleeping position, losing weight, or having your tonsils removed. These changes may alleviate the pressure on your upper airway and help you breathe more easily through the night.
There are some adults with severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea that cannot be treated by oral appliances alone. These patients may benefit from a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. CPAP machines pump air into your upper airway in order to keep it unobstructed. Most patients prefer oral appliances to CPAP because oral appliances are much more discreet, convenient, and comfortable.
When you visit our office in Albuquerque, NM, for your consultation, our dentists will recommend the right course of action to treat your obstructive sleep apnea.
