Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Treatment at Artarmon Dentists
Do you wake up your partner with your loud snoring? Maybe you feel exhausted each morning or find yourself gasping for air. If so, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. This serious condition may lead to further disorders such as heart troubles or elevated blood pressure. Fortunately, there is help for sufferers of sleep apnoea.
Do You Have Sleep Apnoea?
You may be wondering how you’ll know if you have sleep apnoea. It can occur in children and adults alike. There are some signs you can look for in seeking further help. With your children, look for drool on the pillow or sleeping with an open mouth. They may also wet the bed, be hyperactive, have a short attention span, snore or have frequent tonsillitis.
In adults, the signs are usually related to fatigue. If you lack energy, feel tired or snore, you may have sleep apnoea. A decrease in libido and wear on teeth are additional indicators.
Likely, this is not the only time you’ve considered that you could have sleep apnoea. Often, your dentist might pick up on the signs like excessive tooth wear at your routine checkups. Your dentist might notice that your child has behavioural issues or can’t sit through their checkups.
Assessing Your Child for Sleep Apnoea
In children and adults, sleep apnea can be treated. We’ll give your kids an airway assessment including X-rays. Next, we’ll refer them to a paediatric ear, nose and throat specialist. There, they can assess your child’s tonsil size. Following this appointment, you’ll return to Artarmon Dentists to meet with Dentist Dr Radhika Bhatla, who specialises in preventative or interceptive orthodontics for kids.
Assessing Adults for Sleep Apnoea
The process for adults is slightly different. You’ll have an assessment with an ear, nose and throat specialist. We’ll also refer you to have a sleep study completed. Most sufferers use oral appliances to address their sleep apnea. There are two forms: a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) or custom-made oral devices.
The CPAP is a system of tubing from a machine that’s plugged in. It has a mask that is worn on your face while you sleep. Since it’s not ideal for sleeping well, many people prefer oral devices.
An oral device such as Oventus or Somnodent is portable and custom-made so that it’s comfortable to wear while you sleep. It looks like a mouthguard but moves your jaw forward to open up your airway. With Somnodent, you can yawn, drink and open or close your mouth.
Oventus has the added benefit of allowing you to breathe through the device, which is great for people who have nasal issues or allergies and can’t breathe through their nose. Dentist Dr Nick Mehta specialises in creating custom-fabricated oral devices.
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Are you concerned about sleep apnea Artarmon? Contact us today!
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* Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
