Sleep apnea and snoring
Snoring is common. Sleep apnea is less common, often missed, and worth treating. Here’s how to tell the difference.
What happens during sleep apnea
When you fall asleep, the muscles in your throat relax. In obstructive sleep apnea, they relax so much that your airway narrows or closes. Breathing stops for ten seconds or more, the oxygen in your blood drops, and your brain briefly wakes you to start breathing again, often with a snort or gasp.
Most people don’t remember these awakenings. But when they happen many times an hour, sleep never gets deep enough to be restful. Over time, untreated sleep apnea is linked with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
How it’s diagnosed
Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a physician using a sleep study. Many people can do this at home with a small monitor worn for a night or two. Others need a study in a sleep lab. The results show how many times an hour your breathing stops or becomes shallow:
- Mild: 5 to 15 times an hour
- Moderate: 15 to 30 times an hour
- Severe: more than 30 times an hour
Is it just snoring?
Snoring on its own is common and often harmless. It’s worth getting checked when it comes with other signs.
Check anything that applies to you, or that someone who sleeps near you has noticed.
This isn’t a diagnosis. Sleep apnea can only be diagnosed with a sleep study. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has a clear guide to obstructive sleep apnea.
Where a dentist fits in
A physician diagnoses sleep apnea. A dentist trained in sleep medicine looks after the part of treatment that happens in your mouth. For many adults with snoring or sleep apnea, that part is a custom oral appliance.
What we do
- Check your teeth, gums, bite and jaw joints to see whether an appliance would be safe and comfortable for you
- Arrange a dental clearance exam at Serenity Oaks Dental, in the same building, and treat any problems first, such as gum disease or loose teeth, that an appliance could make worse
- Make, fit and adjust a custom oral appliance
- Check your teeth and bite over the years, and keep your physician up to date
What we don’t do
- Diagnose sleep apnea by looking in your mouth
- Ask you to stop using CPAP without your physician’s agreement
- Sell over-the-counter or mail-order mouthguards