Adults Have Many Options Today to Get Straighter Teeth

Are you suffering from sleep apnea and not sure what to do about it? The solution may be to actually visit your dentist, who is capable of helping with this problem that is related to your mouth and how you breathe. Here are some potential treatments that they may suggest. 

Losing Weight

The first treatment may be the one that you do not want to hear, which is that you need to lose weight. This is because you will benefit from having fewer fat deposits in your neck, which may be blocking your airways. In addition, all that weight on your chest can put unnecessary pressure on it and make it more difficult to breathe at night. You would be surprised at how many people have their sleep apnea problems go away after they lose weight.

CPAP Machine

One frequently used option is a CPAP machine, which involves wearing a mask that is placed over your nose when you sleep at night. The machine helps generate air pressure and pushes it through your nose to help you breathe, which reduces the symptoms associated with sleep apnea, such as snoring and waking up with shortness of breath. While it may not be the desired option to use a CPAP machine at night, it can be very effective at giving you a better night's sleep that will not disturb your partner as well. 

Oral Appliances

Your dentist can also assist with creating a custom-made oral appliance that you would wear at night. The purpose of the appliances is that they will pull your lower jaw forward and help open up the airway to let you breathe at night. The oral appliance is definitely worth trying if you do not want to use a CPAP machine and you have tolerated using a retainer at night in the past. It can be a relatively simple solution to your sleep apnea problem. 

Surgery

If you do not tolerate using a CPAP machine or an oral appliance, you may be recommended for a surgical procedure that can help correct your sleep apnea problem. There is not a single surgery that will be used to treat sleep apnea, since it depends on your professional diagnosis as to why it is happening to you. For example, the most common surgery is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, often referred to as UPPP, which involves trimming tissue from your soft palate and uvula. 

Contact a local dentist to learn more about products like sleep apnea oral appliances.