How Oral Appliance Therapy Can Alleviate Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Snoring and Sleep Apnea: 

Many people who have sleep disordered breathing do not even realize it. Thankfully, The Center for Sleep Medicine is available to provide help for those in the Chicago area who want to improve the quality of their sleep. Positioning the lower jaw forward can affect getting a good night's sleep.

Why it is happening? 

Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the throat completely or partially collapses causing interrupted sleep. Snoring occurs when the throat is partially closed and the air passing through causes the throat to vibrate. 

During sleep the tongue which is attached to the lower jaw can fall back into one’s airway cause difficulty in breathing which may not only be dangerous but often result in disturbing sleep throughout the night.

How Oral Appliance Therapy Helps? 

Oral appliance therapy involves the selection, fitting and use of a specifically designed oral appliance that maintains an open, unobstructed airway worn during sleep.  Custom made oral appliances are proven to be more effective than over-the-counter devices. 

                            

Oral appliances are designed to address this problem by re-positioning the lower jaw forward so the tongue is also forward and prevents the tongue from falling back into one’s airway. There are a variety of oral appliances available, which can be tailored to address the specific needs of the individual sleep apnea sufferer. Realignment of the lower jaw forward can have a surprisingly big impact on how well you sleep. Many people having sleep apnea are not even aware there is a problem.

Impact of Oral Appliance: 

Many people who snore severely report that their sleep partners appreciate not having to listen 
to noisy snoring because of the sleep specialist doctor's  treatment. 

As a result the quality of their partners sleep is improved as well. However, it is the task of a professional to study one’s sleep to identify what may be causing snoring or sleep deprivation.

Note:

Some sleep apnea sufferers grind their teeth or tense their jaws during the night. This is another area where an oral appliance may be useful to eliminate these habits.