SNORING
While you sleep, the muscles of your throat relax, your tongue falls backward, and your throat becomes narrow and "floppy." As you breathe, the walls of the throat begin to vibrate - generally when you breathe in, but also, to a lesser extent, when you breathe out. These vibrations lead to the characteristic sound of snoring.
The narrower your airway becomes, the greater the vibration and the louder your snoring.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT SNORING
1. Aging leads to the relaxation of the throat muscles, thus resulting in snoring.
2. Anatomical abnormalities of the nose and throat, such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids, nasal polyps, or deviated nasal septum cause exaggerated narrowing of the throat during sleep and thus lead to snoring.
3. Functional abnormalities (e.g. inflammation of the nose and/or throat as may occur during respiratory infection or during allergy season) will result in snoring.
4. Sleep position, such as sleeping on your back, may lead to snoring in some people.
5. Alcohol is a potent muscle relaxant and its ingestion in the evening will cause snoring.
6. Muscle relaxants taken in the evening may lead to or worsen snoring in some individuals.
7. Obesity and in particular having a lot of fatty tissue around the neck.
2. Anatomical abnormalities of the nose and throat, such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids, nasal polyps, or deviated nasal septum cause exaggerated narrowing of the throat during sleep and thus lead to snoring.
3. Functional abnormalities (e.g. inflammation of the nose and/or throat as may occur during respiratory infection or during allergy season) will result in snoring.
4. Sleep position, such as sleeping on your back, may lead to snoring in some people.
5. Alcohol is a potent muscle relaxant and its ingestion in the evening will cause snoring.
6. Muscle relaxants taken in the evening may lead to or worsen snoring in some individuals.
7. Obesity and in particular having a lot of fatty tissue around the neck.
DENTAL SLEEP MEDICINE
"Dental sleep medicine is an area of dental practice that focuses on the use of oral appliance therapy to treat sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dentists work together with physicians to identify the best treatment for each patient"
American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a disorder in which a person stops breathing involuntarily during sleep.
It is the most common type of sleep-disordered breathing and is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep
It is caused by the lack of motor tone of the tongue and its mucles controlling the airway.
It is the most common type of sleep-disordered breathing and is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep
It is caused by the lack of motor tone of the tongue and its mucles controlling the airway.
With Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a person will stop breathing ofr at least 10 seconds , but the body attmepts to breathe. Often, the sleep partner hears GASPING as he/she resumes breathing.
As Dentist, we manage Obstructive Sleep Apnea with an Oral Appliance
( Mandibular Advancement Splint )
Oral Appliance is to be worn during Sleep
CPAP is the Gold Standard Treatment for Sleep Apnea prescribed by our Medical Counterpart. As Dentist, we provide the next best alternative for Patients who are unable to tolerate using the CPAP machine.
Oral Appliance is compact, best for those who travel frequently.
Complications of Sleep Apnea