Dangerous Sleep Conditions That Can Be Addressed By A Dentist

If you have a hard time sleeping at night and notice that you don't feel rested the next day, you may have a condition that is interfering with your sleep and can actually be addressed by a dentist. The most common conditions that interfere with sleep include excessive snoring and sleep apnea.

A good night's sleep is needed for good health and anything that interferes with sleep should be addressed immediately. Consider some basics about both these conditions and why they're so serious, and how a dentist can help.

Snoring

Snoring is caused when the mouth falls open during sleep and breathing then causes vibration along the throat and the soft palate, which is the fatty tissue on the roof of the mouth near the back. This condition is very dangerous as it can cause damage to the throat if left unchecked. Snoring also wakes up the person who snores and any bedmates they may have, and this too can affect a person's health.

If a person snores because of this excessive tissue in their mouth, a dentist can easily cut it away with a laser. This opens the airways so that even if a person breathes through their mouth during sleep, they won't tend to snore.

A dentist can also fit a person with a mouth guard of sorts that will support the jaw during sleep. This can keep the mouth from opening and in turn, a person may be less likely to snore.

Sleep Apnea

The term apnea refers to a cessation of breathing; when you hold your breath to swim underwater, you are performing a type of apnea. Sleep apnea then refers to a cessation of breathing at night, during sleep. When a person has sleep apnea they often wake up just long enough to start breathing again and may not even realize that they're awake. This cessation of breathing however is very dangerous; the cells of the body need a constant supply of oxygen to be healthy and to avoid dying off.

As with snoring, sleep apnea can be caused by excessive fatty tissue in the soft palate. This can get in the way of healthy breathing. A dentist can cut this away with a laser right in their office. A person may also need to have their tonsils lanced if they are swollen and getting in the way of breathing at night.

If you have problems with sleep see your doctor, but note if your dentist, one like Scott W. Murphy, DMD, P.A., mentions excessive tissue in your mouth. This too can be causing these problems with your sleep.


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