Sleep Dentistry
What is Sleep Denistry?
Sleep Dentistry is usually recommended as a result of OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) to treat the source of some dental health issues.
OSA is a common sleep disorder characterized by repetitive episodes of partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, leading to breathing pauses or shallow breathing. These pauses in breathing can occur multiple times per hour and may last for seconds to minutes, disrupting normal sleep patterns and reducing the flow of oxygen to vital organs.
OSA often leads to mouth breathing during sleep, especially when airflow is blocked in the nasal passages. This results in reduced saliva production, causing dry mouth, which can contribute to:
- Increased risk of cavities and tooth decay
- Gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis)
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Dry Mouth
- Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)
- Gum Disease
- Change in Jaw Position
- Enlarged tongue or Soft Tissues
- Worn or Receding Gums
- And more
If left untreated, these issues can significantly impact oral health, contributing to more severe dental complications. Proper management of sleep apnea is essential to prevent these oral effects.
Key Points About Sleep Dentistry
Procedure
- Specialists will do an airway evaluation in-house and if the assessment determines a collapse in the airway, Creative Dental Studio will recommend the patient take their at-home sleep study. This consists of simply wearing a watch on their wrist and a PAT (Peripheral Arterial Tone) device on their finger.
- From there, an in-house sleep specialist will read the results and determine the best treatment moving forward. They could administer a mouth guard, which is an oral sleep appliance for “mild to moderate” OSA to open the airway or, in more severe cases, Creative Dental will recommend PAP (Positive airway pressure) therapy, which is treated with a typical C-PAP machine.
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