If you are struggling with sleep apnea, your dentist may be able to help you. Obstructive sleep apnea can actually be based on problems with your oral health. There are dentists who specialize in treating sleep apnea in patients. Find out how a dentist can help you resolve problems by getting help from sleep apnea dentistry Elk Grove Village.
What Are the Symptoms?
There are some definite symptoms of a sleep apnea disorder. The most common sign is very loud snoring during the night. You may also experience headaches, dry mouth and an irritated throat. Many sleep apnea patients also wake up several times throughout the night. Overall, disruptive sleep patterns are the first sign that an apnea problem exists.
Effects on Oral Health
Sleep apnea not only affects your sleep, it also causes problems for your mouth. Your teeth and gums suffer a lot due to the problems with apnea. During apnea episodes, patients usually gring their teeth at an excessive rate. This breaks down the enamel on the teeth and leaves them open to bacterial infections. Once this occurs, the teeth are more likely to suffer from cavities.
Your gums also suffer from the effects of sleep apnea. The grinding that occurs during the night can also lead to receding gums. This can affect the stability of your teeth and can also cause gum disease.
The tongue is also a target that is affected by this condition. Those who suffer from apnea often have cuts or scrapes on their tongues. Again, this can lead to various infections that can have devastating consequences for the overall health of the mouth.
What Can Your Dentist Do?
If your dentist is aware of the problem, he or she can take some steps to help out. The first thing a dentist is likely to do is to order a sleep study. This is an overnight test that consists of an observation of your sleeping patterns. A sleep technician will attach several monitoring devices to your body and monitor them during your sleep. These devices provide information about how sleep apnea may be affecting you. Your dentist and doctor can use this information to issue dental devices or other remedies to minimize the effects of sleep apnea.
For sleep apnea dentistry Elk Grove Village, contact Dr. Brian Homann, DDS, P.C. at elkgrovevillageildentist.com.
