Sleep Apnea from Barnes Dentistry

Serving Boulder, CO

It is believed that over 50% of people snore. Snoring is a significant relationship issue as well as a health risk. Sleep Apnea can cause sudden death and other health problems. 5% to 20% of Americans suffer from sleep apnea and may not know it.

Snorers often sleep through the night while creating spousal separations and sleep deprivation of those around them, causing daytime tiredness and straining relationships. More and more couples are opting for separate bedrooms because of snoring. In addition to medical devices called CPAP, a variety of FDA dental appliances are able to alleviate sleep apnea. These appliances are easy to wear, portable, and safe.

Snoring can be a sign of a more life-threatening condition called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea affects over 12 million Americans. Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. The effects of daytime tiredness are also important to consider. A person with significant apnea is more at risk for an automobile accident than a drunk driver!

Apnea occurs when breathing is blocked at regular intervals during the night. The airway can become blocked multiple times per hour. Oftentimes the patient is never fully awakened by the apnea. Each time the airway is blocked, the heart is stressed by the effort of trying to breathe and can even stop beating or suffer irregular beats. This can lead to a heart attack and death. During the struggle to breathe blood pressure can soar, damaging the walls of arteries and increasing the risk for stroke.

A physician can diagnose sleep apnea by a sleep study. This is often on the report by someone who hears irregular breathing or loud snoring from the patient. After identifying the nature of the condition, medical options can be discussed and many physicians can refer patients to a trained Dentist for evaluation. The use of a mandibular advancement appliance for their apnea can then be evaluated.

What Causes Snoring and Apnea?

During sleep, the muscles and soft tissues in the throat and mouth relax making the airway smaller. Sometimes the tongue falls back into the throat and obstructs the airway. The decrease in the airway space increases the velocity of the incoming air while breathing. As the velocity of the air increases, soft tissues can begin to vibrate. These vibrations result in the snoring sound and damage the tissues, causing inflammation and edema which further narrows the airway. Excessive weight, heavy alcohol or sedative use can increase the severity of snoring.

In obstructive apnea, as the velocity of air increases, the tissues can actually collapse resulting in complete or partial blockage of air. As the muscles in the chest try to inhale against the resistance, the seal tightens and the heart and blood flow in the arteries is momentarily interrupted and the patient passes out. This causes the breathing muscles to relax, the airway is partially opened as the patient wakes and takes a breath and the process starts again.

Surgical techniques can remove excess tissue in the mouth and throat but have been met with only limited, and unpredictable success. A pressurized oxygen mask (called CPAP) is curative of sleep apnea but compliance with the CPAP is reported as low as 30% due to the bilk and noise. Dental appliances are becoming increasingly prescribed by physicians and managed by qualified Dentists such as Dr. Mark J. Barnes.

How Do Appliances Prevent Snoring and Apnea?

Research has shown the dental appliances that support the jaw in a forward position while sleeping increase the three dimensional space in the airway, which reduces air velocity and soft tissue vibration and collapse.

Other appliances are designed and fitted to improve TMJ pain, protect teeth from clenching or grinding in addition to improving snoring and sleep apnea.

Whether you are a loud snorer, have sleep apnea, have symptoms associated with grinding or clenching such as headaches, tooth or jaw pain, there are dental appliances with FDA approval for you to consider.

Dr. Barnes uses several FDA approved appliances catered to your individual condition and diagnosis. Other appliance designs are often used for special circumstances. He will work with your sleep physician to make sure that the appliance meets medical standards of success and your comfort.

For more information on sleep apnea in Boulder, CO call 303-530-7525 today!

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