Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatments In Calgary

Sleep apnea is a condition where the airway repeatedly becomes entirely blocked, preventing breathing. The word “apnea” means “no breathing.” You might wake up enough to gasp for air and then fall back to sleep. In the morning you often have no memory of these incidents.

The official definition of sleep apnea is blocked breathing five or more times per hour for at least ten seconds each time. The average time is 22 seconds. Try holding your breath for 22 seconds — good luck! The lack of breathing causes a significant drop in blood oxygen levels. Although there are three types of sleep apnea, the most common one is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Types of Sleep Apnea

Snoring is the harsh or raspy sound caused by vibrating throat tissues when airway airflow is restricted. It occurs as muscles in the soft palate, tongue, and throat relax. While often harmless, it can indicate sleep apnea, a condition requiring medical attention. It is more common in men and those with excess weight.

Sleep apnea is a common, serious medical disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts for 10 seconds or more during sleep. This prevents the body from getting enough oxygen, resulting in fragmented sleep and excessive daytime tiredness. The most common form, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), occurs when throat muscles relax too much and block the airway causing you to grind your teeth and wake you up to get you breathing again.

A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine is the “gold standard” treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It uses a mask to deliver a steady, gentle stream of pressurized air, acting as an air splint to keep throat muscles and airways open while you sleep, preventing breathing interruptions, snoring, and low oxygen levels. Not everyone can tolerate this form of treatment and may be a candidate for oral appliance therapy.

Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea

Although OSA sufferers are not typically aware of the non-breathing episodes each night, they can notice the following daytime sleep apnea symptoms:

Fatigue and drowsiness
Headaches
Teeth grinding
Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath
Impotence
Difficulty concentrating
Nighttime sweating
High blood pressure
Chest pain at night
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Dry mouth

Short term memory issue
Decreased sex drive
Depression
Irritability
Menstrual irregularities
Sore throat
Insomnia
Weight gain
Gastric reflux
Mood swings
Restless sleeping

These symptoms can cause tension in your relationships, problems with performance at work, and even dangers such as falling asleep at the wheel while driving. In addition, if you sleep in the same room as a partner, they may resent you for keeping them up all night with your snoring. Most people find that their quality of life improves significantly after seeking help for their sleep apnea and finding an effective treatment option.

Take a Home Sleep Test: A convenient home sleep test will determine whether or not you have sleep apnea.

What to Expect at Southcentre Dental

The best type of treatment for sleep apnea will vary from person to person. For some individuals it’s a CPAP combined with weight loss; for others, it might be surgery; and in certain situations, the best type of apnea appliance is a special type of mouthpiece (called a mandibular advancement device) that’s made by our dentist.

Personalized Sleep Assessment

We begin by understanding your symptoms, whether it’s snoring, poor sleep, or fatigue. You may be provided with a take-home sleep screening test to evaluate potential signs of sleep apnea.

Proper Diagnosis & Referrals

If sleep apnea is suspected, we’ll refer you to a qualified sleep specialist for an official diagnosis. This ensures you receive the most accurate evaluation and appropriate care.

Tailored Treatment Recommendations

Once your condition is confirmed, we’ll guide you through the best treatment options based on your needs. This may include oral appliances, CPAP therapy referrals, or other solutions depending on the severity of your case.

Custom Oral Appliance Fitting

For many patients, a mandibular advancement device (such as SOMNOMED) is an effective solution. We take precise impressions of your teeth to create a custom-fit appliance designed for comfort and optimal airway support.

Adjustment & Optimization

Once your appliance is ready, we’ll ensure it fits perfectly and make any necessary adjustments. Follow-up visits may be scheduled to fine-tune your device for maximum effectiveness and comfort.

Ongoing Support

We continue to monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed. Our goal is to help you achieve better sleep, reduce snoring, and improve your overall health with a solution that works for you.

A healthy smile builds confidence

A healthy smile builds confidence, supports overall well-being, and brings families closer together. At Southcentre Dental in Calgary, our focus on family dentistry ensures that patients of every age receive compassionate and preventive care.

Common Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Children

Children can share common symptoms of sleep apnea like snoring, restlessness, waking up repeatedly during the night, and more. However, children can also suffer from the following sleep apnea symptoms:

Mouth breathing
Bedwetting
Poor performance in school
Stunted growth
Behavior problems
Short attention span

If you believe your child may be dealing with sleep apnea, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

What causes sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is normally caused by a number of different things including:

Small airways
Large tonsils
Airway constriction
Enlarged tonsils
Allergies
Obesity
Family history
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Smoking
Large amounts of second-hand smoke

Risks associated with untreated sleep apnea

People with sleep apnea experience multiple instances of interrupted breathing during sleep. In order to resume breathing, your brain must partially reawaken; while you may not be aware of the breathing interruptions and waking, this process can occur hundreds of times a night. This, in turn, prevents your brain from achieving the restful, REM sleep you need. Additionally, when your brain senses the lack of oxygen, it signals your heart to work harder, pumping more blood and contributing to a heightened risk of serious health problems including:

High blood pressure (hypertension)
Heart attack
Heart disease
An irregular heartbeat
Stroke
Cardiac arrhythmia
Coronary artery disease

Sleep apnea can also lead to depression, daytime fatigue, memory problems, mood swings, morning headaches, and other issues. This disorder can take quite a toll on your life so it’s important you have it treated as soon as possible.

How do I know what treatment option is right for me?

Before we can advise you on a treatment option, we have to determine if you snore or have sleep apnea (or both). We can provide you with a take-home test called ARES to evaluate the potential levels of sleep apnea and snoring you may be suffering from. This test is an initial screening tool. It is not used by us to diagnose if you have sleep apnea. The diagnosis of whether you have sleep apnea must be completed by a doctor who specializes in sleep apnea in Calgary. We will refer you to the appropriate professional for further diagnosis.

Get Fitted for a Custom Oral Appliance

We will take impressions or scans, fit you for a cutting-edge device, and instruct you on usage, care, and maintenance. We use the least intrusive, most comfortable patient preferred oral appliance therapy to treat your sleep apnea & snoring. It is also the most user friendly treatment available.

What is a mandibular advancement device?

A mandibular advancement device positions your lower jaw in a special way that helps prevent airway blockage at the back of your mouth. Your dentist will take an impression of your teeth then send the specifications to the oral appliance manufacturer. Once it’s ready, you’ll try it on and we’ll adjust it to your mouth. You might need to come back a few times to have it fine-tuned to get the perfect fit. However, it’s common for people to say that they see positive benefits from their oral appliance as soon as the first night they wear it! If you’re CPAP intolerant, be sure to ask your physician about seeing a sleep dentist about a mouthguard.

Affordability & Insurance

Our team is always rady to assist you with the best payment options and insurance claims or sleep apnea and snoring treatments.

Providing transparent cost estimates.

Our team is here to help you understand your coverage and handle claim submissions!

Assisting with insurance claims for restorative elements.

We’ll always review your treatment plan and answer any questions you have before scheduling any follow-up care!

Offering flexible payment options where available.

Our team will make sure we find the best payment solutions for you.

Common Questions About Sleep Apnea & Snoring

How serious is sleep apnea?

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.