Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Treatments in Hamilton
Do you know sleep apnoea may contribute to teeth grinding?
What Causes Snoring? When you sleep, the throat muscles relax, and the jaw and tongue fall back which narrows the airway. In some people, the airway is narrow enough to allow the air to escape while making the soft tissues vibrate. This noise is what we call snoring.
What is Sleep Apnoea? Since your throat muscles and tongue relax when you sleep, some people snore so badly the relaxed airway becomes partially or completely blocked. Each event of airway collapse is called an apnoea. Apnoea means without breath.
Sometimes this will wake the sleeper, but often the sleeper will not know it is happening. They will only know they never get a good night’s sleep, making them very tired during the day.
What are the treatment options?
There are several ways to treat snoring and sleep apnoea including:
- Surgical procedure to open the airway.
- Using a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device. This is a bedside device and nasal mask that delivers a small increase in airway pressure to stop airway vibration and the associated noise of snoring.
- Using a snore guard, the simplest way to treat snoring and mild sleep apnoea. Snore guards are very similar to mouth guards. Your dentist will take moulds of your top and bottom teeth and then our onsite technician will custom-fabricate the snore guard to specially fits your mouth. You wear the snore guard at night to hold the lower jaw slightly forward. This opens up the airway, allowing easier breathing and stopping snoring. The brand we use at Victoria Dentists is Silent Nite®
Silent Nite® is a dentist-prescribed solution for a more restful night’s sleep. This affordable device is flexible, thin, and comfortable to wear.
Silent Nite® snore guards position the lower jaw forward using special S-shaped connectors that are attached to upper and lower trays. These trays are comprised of a soft inner layer with a hard outer layer that is durable and BPA-free.
To find out more, give us a call today on 07 8391 660.