Oral Appliance Therapy For Sleep Apnea

oral appliance for sleep apnea Salt Lake CityThe word “apnea” comes from Greek, and it means “without breath.” Sleep apnea, then, is sleeping without breath: a condition in which someone’s breathing stops involuntarily during sleep. It is serious, but treatable at The Sugar House Dentist in Salt Lake City.

Sleep apnea is more common than you may realize, affecting more than eighteen million Americans. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, headaches, and heart disease, among other conditions.

Types and Symptoms

There are three main types of sleep apnea:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type. It occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleep.
  • Central sleep apnea is when the brain doesn’t get the body’s signals that control breathing.
  • Complex sleep apnea is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.

Anyone can get sleep apnea, even children. But it’s more common in men than women, especially African-American and Hispanic men. Risk factors include being over the age of forty and being overweight.

The most common symptoms include:

  • Loud snoring
  • Gasping for breath during sleep
  • Headaches in the morning
  • Waking up with a dry mouth
  • Insomnia
  • Excessive sleepiness during the day
  • Shortened attention span
  • Irritability

All of this may sound frightening, and it can be. But there is hope, too, because sleep apnea can be treated at The Sugar House Dentist in Salt Lake City. Patients from Millcreek and Holladay come to our office for sleep apnea treatment, for complete family and children’s dentistry. If you think that you may have sleep apnea, please contact us today!

Contact The Sugar House Dentist:

801.618.0197

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1955 S 1300 E Ste L2
Salt Lake City, UT 84105