Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatments In Calgary

Sleep apnea can range from mild to severe. Depending on the severity of your sleeping disorder or obstructed breathing, there can be serious physical side effects that increase your chances of things like a heart attack or stroke. Sleep experts know that when your body is deprived of oxygen (which is what happens when you have sleep apnea) it can raise your blood pressure and lead to muscle tension throughout your body. That’s why it’s common to feel fatigued and tired, even if it felt like you actually slept through the night.

If you have a condition like depression or diabetes, sleep apnea can make it more difficult to get those situations under control. Your body is essentially worn out and working overtime. Having a sleeping disorder can also increase your frequency of headaches or possibly falling asleep during the day while you’re driving or at work.

Although sleep apnea itself doesn’t kill people, the effects of sleep apnea like cardiovascular disease can. So, don’t ignore the warning signs and symptoms. If you suspect that you have obstructive sleep apnea, be sure to consult with our dentist.

There’s not usually a permanent “fix” to treat sleep apnea and prevent it from coming back. Sleep apnea treatments vary depending on the particular type of sleep apnea that you have. If you’re seeking help for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most appropriate type of treatment we would offer is a custom oral sleep appliance, which is also known as a mandibular advancement device. In rare situations, surgery or laser treatment (including tonsillectomies) might also be recommended to manage excess soft tissues at the back of your throat and create more room for airflow.

Most people find that once they get into a routine of using an oral sleep appliance for mild to moderate sleep apnea, they don’t usually need anything else. However, if symptoms worsen or there are other conditions at play, additional treatment might be needed. Your physician may recommend follow up testing depending on your physical health and frequency of symptoms.

Yes, one of the most common side effects and symptoms of sleep apnea is teeth grinding and clenching (a condition called “bruxism”). When your brain is deprived of oxygen, your jaws clench tightly together. Even though your teeth are extremely strong and durable, they can’t stand up to this excessive force night after night. Over time, your teeth will start to wear down, look flat, chip, or break. Consequently, your dental work will start to break apart too. In a few cases, our Calgary dentist might also see things like root exposure because of receding gums.

All of that pressure on your teeth also radiates into your jaw muscles, TMJ, and the sides of your face. As a result, you’ll tend to experience issues like TMJ disorder and headaches. If you notice popping and clicking when you move your mouth or you’re not able to open as wide as you used to, it could be because of your sleep apnea. Be sure to make us aware of these symptoms when you’re here for a checkup.

No, a sleep apnea clinic can provide you with an appliance that is custom-made for your mouth and is very comfortable to wear.

No, most patients find the appliances very comfortable and sleep through the night within one week. Less than 10 percent have reported a period of adjustment of up to two weeks, but after that, most report they aren’t aware they’re even wearing a dental appliance.

No, prior to constructing the appliance, we will check the health of both your teeth and gums. We will advise you of any dental treatment required before we make the dental appliance.

Many patients who suffer from sleep apnea and snoring also present with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ or TMD) symptoms. Some patients actually see some improvement in their TMJ symptoms, others do not. We will work to adjust the snoring appliance to obtain an optimum position to manage your sleep apnea and any TMJ symptoms.

The plastic used in the construction of our custom-fit snoring appliances is medical grade and has been carefully tested for safe human use.

No. After your consultation, we can arrange for you to take home a sleep testing unit called the Apnea Risk Evaluation System (ARES). After you wear the appliance for two nights, we will be able to obtain detailed information about your sleep and the level of both your snoring and sleep apnea. If your sleep apnea is severe enough for a referral to a sleep centre, we will refer you for further evaluation.

No referral is needed. We will provide your family doctor with all our findings from the ARES sleep test and discuss with them any benefits to your overall health, such as reduced blood pressure and weight loss.

Not necessarily, but having sleep apnea can raise your risk of conditions that might contribute to bleeding gums. For example, people with apnea tend to have a harder time controlling underlying medical issues like diabetes. And science shows us that diabetics tend to have a more challenging time managing gum disease, because of how closely the two conditions are intertwined.

Perhaps you have some type of airway blockage or breathe through your mouth while you’re sleeping. Mouth breathing can contribute to dry mouth and red gums, increasing your chance of issues like bleeding when you floss or a higher rate of tooth decay.

If you have sleep apnea, it’s important to pay extra attention to the health of your teeth and gums. Practice daily flossing, brushing along the gumlines, and be sure to visit our dentist in Calgary at least every six months for a professional cleaning and exam. Bleeding gums tend to be closely attributed to periodontitis, so don’t ignore the symptoms or accidentally assume that they’re because of your sleep apnea.

Depending on the type of sleep apnea you have, a special type of dental mouthguard called a “mandibular advancement device” may be able to help you with your medical condition. These sleep mouthpieces position your jaw in a certain way that helps maximize oxygen flow while you’re sleeping.

However, not all oral appliances are the same. Only a specific type of sleep mouthguard made and delivered by a trained dentist is appropriate to wear. But even then, oral sleep appliances are best reserved for cases of obstructive sleep apnea, which is a specific category of sleeping disorders.

Dental sleep appliances can also help with chronic snoring. So, if you make it difficult for your loved one to get a good night’s rest, you may want to look into having a dental appliance made. All you’ll need is an impression of your teeth!

It’s also effective to wear your sleep mouthguard with a CPAP as needed. The two are safe to use together, but some people find that having an oral appliance prevents them from needing a CPAP at all.

There are constantly new developments and discoveries for medical conditions and sleeping disorders. One of the newest treatments for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that’s gaining tremendous support in the medical community is the use of oral sleep appliances or sleep mouth guards. These mandibular advancement devices work by positioning the mouth in a way that allows for optimal air flow, instead of using a machine to force air into the airway (CPAP) while you sleep.

But just because oral sleep appliances are new doesn’t mean they’re gimmicky. It’s taken quite some time for sleep physicians and experts to find the correlation with dental treatments and management of sleep disordered breathing.

The great news is that some people find using a sleep mouthguard can actually eliminate their reliance on a bulky, noisy CPAP machine! But not all oral appliances are created equal (or work for every type of sleep apnea.) For an effective mouthpiece, you’ll need to see a dentist who works with sleep apnea professionals.

In most cases, immediately! The appliance is designed to bring the lower jaw forward into proper alignment. Therefore, a decrease in the obstruction that is the cause of your sleep apnea will begin as soon as you start to wear the appliance. The snoring appliance does need to be adjusted over a few weeks to achieve optimum results. Follow-up visits and sleep studies will ensure that the snoring appliance is having the desired effect.

With proper care, most snoring appliances last three to five years.

Sometimes the snoring appliance can be repaired if it is damaged. In the first year, the appliance is guaranteed and there is no charge for any repair or replacement due to damage or breakage while wearing the snoring appliance. If you lose the appliance, we have to charge you the full cost of replacement.

After fitting you with your snoring appliance, we will see you for follow-up visits at set intervals. You can call us at any time with any questions or concerns.

We do not start any treatment until we have completed an initial sleep study with the ARES device and your doctor has reviewed its findings. Depending on your discussion with your doctor they may refer you for a CPAP evaluation.

If you have further questions about snoring appliances or sleep apnea in Calgary, please contact us at the Southcentre Dental Clinic to schedule a free consultation.