Your Slave Lake Invisalign® Provider
Our Slave Lake dentists can diagnose and treat sleep apnea by recommending a range of remedies including oral appliances and, in rare cases, surgery.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a serious, potentially life-threatening breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions in breathing as an individual sleeps.
When the airway is partially blocked, the palatal tissues vibrate, causing the sound we all recognize as snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the airway is completely blocked for a period of time.
This condition poses a significant health risk for patients, as it can cause heart problems.
Our dentists at Slave Lake Dental can recommend dental appliances or surgical remedies for sleep apnea. We can help determine which option is the best fit for you.
Why Treat Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening condition because it can lead to a host of health issues including heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat and more. It can also cause excessive sleepiness during the day. The disorder can be treated with dental appliances or surgical remedies.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to several symptoms that impact health and well-being long-term, such as:
- Extremely loud snoring
- Lack of energy
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Depression
- Cardiovascular disease
- Memory loss or memory problems
- Chronic sleepiness during the day
- Irritability
- Awakening with dry mouth or headache
- Heartburn
A spouse or sleep partner may also experience sleep problems as a result of snoring. However, this hope. Because obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition, it's critical that it's treated correctly.
Treating Sleep Apnea
When properly treated, symptoms of sleep apnea can be reduced and sometimes eliminated. Potential treatments for sleep apnea include:
Oral Appliances
At Slave Lake Dental, we provide custom-fitted oral appliances to move the lower jaw and tongue muscles to open the airway and improve airflow. This helps you get a restful night's sleep.
CPAP Machine
Known as Continuous Positive Air Pressure Machines, these electronic devices draw in outside air via an internal fan. They humidify and pressurize the air before sending it to the user through a connective base and face mask that they breathe through. Our dentists can recommend a CPAP Machine to help treat sleep apnea.
Surgery
Reserved for cases where other treatments prove ineffective, we may recommend surgical removal of the nasal obstruction blocking a patient's airway.