You wake up in the middle of the night. Suddenly you lose your breath and the loss of oxygen jolts you awake. You inhale and exhale to bring it back. After a couple breaths, you can breathe properly again. This is an example of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
OSA is a serious medical issue that disrupts your sleep. After a long day, all you want is a restful sleep, so if you’re constantly walking up, you’ll just feel antsy and frustrated.
If you or a loved one is experiencing sleep apnoea, it’s important to educate yourself how it works and how it can be improved with a dentist. But, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’re here to help.
What is obstructive sleep apnoea?
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a difficulty with breathing while asleep. It’s a disorder where throat muscles relax and cause the airway to become obstructed, leading to breathing pauses, known as apnoeas, or shallow breaths, known as hypopneas. In order for the body to breathe again, a patient’s brain signals them to wake up to get the oxygen back in. The breathing pauses can last a few seconds up to a couple minutes and may occur multiple times throughout the night, creating fragmented sleep.
Symptoms of sleep apnoea
Below are some of the signs and symptoms to look out for:
- Sudden awakenings from choking or gasping
- Loud snoring
- Dry mouth or sore throat
- Pauses in breathing noticed by a partner
What health issues does OSA affect?
Obstructive sleep apnoea is in fact, obstructive! You can’t get into a deep REM cycle or experience a full night’s sleep when you’re jolted awake every hour or every couple hours with a blocked airway. Fewer breaths while sleeping causes blood oxygen levels to drop, therefore, as a result, individuals may experience:
- Morning headaches or persistent tiredness from insufficient oxygen reaching the brain
- Brain fog and difficulty concentrating due to oxygen deprivation, which impairs cognitive function
A lack of sleep also causes:
- Restless sleep due to frequent awakenings
- Daytime fatigue caused by disrupted sleep cycle
- Irritability, difficulty relating to others, and mood swings caused by sleep deprivation
OSA is also associated with long term health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, excessive weight, naturally narrowed airways, hypertension, chronic nasal congestion, smoking, strokes, and diabetes. Men are also twice as likely to develop OSA over women.
For all of these reasons, if you’re experiencing sleep apnoea, it’s important to seek diagnosis and appropriate treatment to help.
How can a dentist diagnose sleep apnoea?
Dentists can identify sleep apnoea by looking at symptoms such as snoring habits, daytime sleepiness levels, and oral health problems that are connected to sleep apnoea.
A sleep apnoea dentist will also recommend lifestyle changes to implement to lower your OSA issues. Some steps to take would be:
- Focusing on weight loss
- Quitting smoking and vaping
- Avoiding alcohol before bed
- Sleeping on your side
- Nasal sprays to relieve nose congestion
Additionally, dentists are connected with sleep specialists, ENT doctors, and other healthcare providers who can help you through your sleeping journey.
What are the treatments for sleep apnoea?
Luckily, a dentist can solve your obstructive sleep apnoea with two solutions:
Solution 1: A Mandibular Advancement Splint
This splint is custom-made for your mouth to avoid your throat from closing. It gently pushes your lower jaw and tongue forward to keep your airway open and creates a stable breathing pattern. Think of it as a mouthguard for sleep apnoea.
To make a mandibular splint for sleep apnoea, your dentist will examine your mouth, take x-rays, and then create an impression of your teeth with a soft clay-like material. The impressions will be sent to a lab to make your splint. They may also digitally scan your teeth with an intraoral scanner which will be more comfortable. In 2-3 weeks time, they will fit it to your mouth and request you wear it each night to bed.
Solution 2: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device
This CPAP device is a mask that goes over either your nose or mouth or sometimes both and blows air through. The pressure of the air keeps the airway’s tissues from relaxing, helping it to stay open all night long. There’s also another device, BPAP, which has the same breathing support but changes as you breathe in and out.
To get a CPAP, a dentist will refer you to a doctor to pick up the CPAP device.
While the CPAP device tends to be the most effective, it’s up to you and your dentist what’s best for your situation. Both dental devices are great for sleep apnoea because they reduce the loss of breaths overnight and improve sleep quality.
However, if your sleep apnoea is really serious, dentists and oral maxillofacial surgeons can perform a procedure called an uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) which removes parts of the throat’s soft tissues that collapse the airway during sleep. This isn’t as common, but is a third option if the above sleep apnoea treatments don’t work well for you.
Get sleep apnoea treatment in Australia today
Sleep apnoea treatment can make a real difference — offering you better sleep, improved health effects, and less need for medication or surgery.
Healthy sleep is vital for both your body and mind so you can wake up feeling refreshed and energised. Don’t push it to the side, instead contact our expert team at Oakleigh Dental Centre who can guide you step-by-step through your journey.
Contact us for a consultation or with any questions you may have today!
