If loud snoring, restless sleep, and gasping at night are all familiar to you, you may have sleep apnea. Understanding what sleep apnea is and how to treat it will be the first step toward getting restful sleep again. Legacy Dental Arts, a dentist office with reliable and experienced dentists in Eagle River, Alaska, is here with some helpful answers to the most common questions about sleep apnea and how oral appliance therapy can help.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes you to pause your breathing while you sleep. A chronic condition, sleep apnea is characterized by your breathing becoming very shallow—it can stop altogether for a few seconds or even a few minutes. This can occur as much as 40 times per hour. The result is that your body cannot achieve a deep sleep, which in turn causes you to be very tired throughout the day.

What Is Oral Appliance Therapy?

A common treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea is oral appliance therapy. While severe sleep apnea requires you to wear a machine at night called a CPAP device, oral appliance therapy is a far less invasive method. Oral appliance therapy involves wearing a mouthpiece that fits over your teeth and helps pull your jaw forward, opening up your airways. This type of dentistry doesn’t require permanent dental implants. Instead, your dentist provides you with an appliance that you only have to wear at night.

How Can Dentists Help?

Your dentist can meet with you and assess your level of sleep apnea. Depending on the extent of your symptoms, your dentist may recommend visiting a sleep specialist. The dentist office you visit will be able to provide you with a custom mouthpiece that fits perfectly into your mouth so that you can breathe easier at night.

What Can You Do At Home?

Sleep apnea can be exacerbated by many different habits. Cutting out smoking, alcohol, caffeine, and heavy meals, especially right before you go to sleep, can all help contribute to better rest. Losing weight is another activity that has been proven to treat sleep apnea. You can also try sleeping on your side or propped up with a pillow to keep your airways open.

If you believe you have sleep apnea, give Legacy Dental Arts a call at (907) 622-7874. The Eagle River dentists are experienced in all areas of dentistry, from teeth whitening to dental implants. To learn more about their services, visit their website today.