Our Sleep is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, people suffer from broken sleep without even knowing it. Snoring and Sleep Apnoea are very common conditions that can cause restless and broken sleep. As a result, we find it difficult to get out of bed each morning, we lose concentration, suffer tiredness, headaches and migraines each morning. But these are highly treatable conditions with the help of our Melbourne based team at The Smile Designer Dental Studio.
Is your partner driving you crazy each and every night? Snoring and sleep apnoea do not just affect them, they affect you too. Over half of the patients that call up are actually calling regarding helping someone else. See how we can help you or your partner get a better sleep today. Our Dental Studio’s are located on High Street, on the border of Thornbury and South Preston.
WHAT IS SNORING?
Snoring occurs due to the vibration of our respiratory structures, which results in a sound due to the air movement being obstructed as we breathe during sleep. In some people, this sound may be quite soft, but in others, it can be loud and unpleasant. This is a sign that there could be an Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) problem.
WHAT IS SLEEP APNOEA?
This is also called Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). It is a breathing related sleep disorder, and causes people to snore. This can also pose serious health problems. OSA occurs when people stop breathing regularly, and their blood oxygen levels drop as a result during sleep.
Snoring and feeling tired from lack of sleep are two of the most common types of apnoea. Snoring does not always mean you have a problem, but a particular characteristic of sleep apnoea is that there will be a pause in the snoring, followed by a gasping or choking sound. These are not known by the person sleeping.
Some people also get dry mouth or a sore throat when they wake up, or they tend to wake up more often to go to the toilet, getting headaches, and feeling sleepy or tired throughout the day.
- CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, is the gold standard of treatment for sleep apnoea, especially for severe cases. The machines are designed to increase air pressure going through your throat, and thus, preventing the airway from collapsing during inhalation. This machine sits on your bedside table, with pressurised air that blows from a tube into a mask that is worn over your face during sleep. This helps patients breathe easier throughout the night. APAP is a similar machine that is automatic, and monitors and adjusts the pressure as needed.
I have a CPAP machine but don’t like using it. What other options do i have?
This is a common problem that a lot of patients have. Others want a more mobile friendly alternative, or an addition to their CPAP machine.
- Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs) are the most common mouth device used in addressing sleep apnoea. These Oral Appliances for snoring are custom made to the size and shape of your mouth. Dental Impressions are taken of your teeth and adjusted by our dentists who are trained in dental sleep medicine. They work by bringing the lower jaw forwards and increases the airway space at the back of our throat. This opens up our airways and allows for easy passage of air when we breathe.
How can The Smile Designer Dental Studio help me with my snoring or sleep apnea?
There are many patients who just simply snore, and their partners find it unbearable. At our dental studio, our team offers the ability to determine if your snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea is simply snoring, or if it is something more. We coordinate with our sleep clinic partners to organise the relevant home sleep study programs. You will gain the knowledge to help you on your way to sleeping better.
At The Smile Designer Dental Studio, we understand that the key to treating sleep apnoea properly lies in providing you with the right care from the start. This means working with our broader team of practitioners to diagnose the issue and the severity of the problem, ensuring the comfort of our patients, as well as providing essential follow up care. Our Solutions include personalised custom made oral appliance’s, follow up care and training of its use, as well as organising any post treatment sleep studies.
Call us today to learn how we can help you stop snoring now!