Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea increases your risk of chronic, potentially life-threatening illnesses like Type 2 diabetes, so treatment is essential. At Quiet Dental PC in the Pelham Bay/Morris Park section of the Bronx in New York, the team offers expert sleep apnea care. Treatments include mandibular advancement devices and Inspire® implants to ensure you breathe properly at night. Call Quiet Dental PC to learn more about sleep apnea treatment, or use the online booking feature to schedule a consultation.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea disorders affect your breathing when you sleep. The two primary forms are:

Central sleep apnea

Central sleep apnea is a neurological problem. Your brain fails to activate your breathing muscles during sleep, causing you to stop breathing.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

OSA is far more common. It occurs when the soft tissues at the back of your mouth and throat relax too much during sleep. The tissue blocks your upper airway, so you can’t breathe properly.

Some people have complex sleep apnea with elements of both central and obstructive forms.

Usually, your brain reacts immediately after breathing stops, waking you so you start breathing again. However, this can occur multiple times each night, disrupting your sleep and reducing the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream with serious consequences.

How does sleep apnea affect my health?

Sleep apnea has several adverse health effects, such as:

• Raising your blood pressure
• Increasing stroke and heart disease risk
• Increasing your risk of Type 2 diabetes
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Impaired concentration
• Moodiness and irritability

If you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, you might fall asleep while driving or at work, possibly with fatal consequences.

One of the difficulties with sleep apnea is that most people are unaware they stop breathing at night because they’re unlikely to remember waking repeatedly the next morning.

If you feel tired and sleepy during the day and wake up with headaches and a dry or sore throat, these could be signs of sleep apnea. Severe snoring is another symptom, but not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.

‍How is sleep apnea diagnosed and treated?

Your provider might recommend these treatments for sleep apnea:

‍Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy

A PAP machine provides a stream of pressurized air through a mask worn when sleeping. Pressurized air keeps the upper airway open, so you breathe normally. Some provide continuous pressure (CPAP); others are auto-adjustable (APAP) or bilevel (BiPAP).

‍Oral appliances

Oral appliances look like sports mouthguards. They reposition your lower jaw and tongue to keep your airway open.

‍Surgery

Oral surgery removes soft tissues to keep your airway open.

Inspire implant

Inspire is a small implant that stimulates the tongue muscles during sleep.

Call Quiet Dental PC to learn more about sleep apnea and its treatment, or book an appointment online today.