He’s the perfect guy; thoughtful, loving, and caring. There’s just one problem — he’s a snorer! He snores so loud that you can barely sleep at night, and you don’t know how much longer you can go without sleep. Well, in actuality, both of you are probably not getting much sleep despite his loud testament to sleeping. Snoring can lead to restless sleep, daytime dysfunction and more. Luckily, the team at GPS Dental can help!
What Causes Snoring?
According to the National Sleep Foundation, snoring is a problem that affects approximately 90 million Americans. Needless to say, many couples are going through the issue of one person being a very loud snorer.
Snoring is caused by the muscles in your throat and your tongue relaxing too much while sleeping, which causes the throat to become more narrow. The air going in and out of the throat then causes the characteristic sound of snoring. Snoring becomes more serious with age and is more common in overweight individuals and males.
What Are the Side Effects of Snoring?
While we may joke about our partner’s snoring, the side effects are no laughing matter. Sometimes, the walls of the throat can collapse completely, which can cause a cessation of air. When that happens, the person’s breathing stops and that’s never a good thing! This is known as sleep apnea and is a serious medical condition.
Oral Appliance Therapy
A really great solution for sleep apnea is oral appliance therapy, also known in simpler terms as a mouth guard. The GPS Dental team can custom fit a mouth guard to your jaw in a way that maintains an open upper airway even as the throat muscles relax. This allows you to breathe safely and comfortably throughout the night while also allowing your partner to get a restful night of sleep.
Oral Appliances Are a Great Alternative to CPAP Machines
Although CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines prove to be the most effective way to treat advanced sleep apnea, studies have shown that half of all CPAP wearers cannot tolerate using their CPAP mask on a regular basis. Oral appliance therapy can be as or more effective than the CPAP mask for many of these individuals and is far more comfortable and acceptable for nightly use. Also, many medical insurance companies are now covering these appliances when a CPAP is not tolerable. Call and ask GPS Dental how they can help to determine eligibility for oral appliance coverage when a CPAP is just not working out.
How to End Snoring the Easy Way
Since over 100 oral appliances have received FDA clearance, it can be difficult to select the right one. Dr. Skrobanek has had special training and can recommend the device that is best for you. Also, note that oral appliance therapy is covered by many medical insurance plans so this may come at little to no out-of-pocket cost to you.
Read more about oral appliance therapy here. To see if you’re a candidate for a mouth guard contact us online or call us at (210) 633-3477.
