Recently, we discussed not only how we diagnose poor sleep with a home study, but how we treat most cases with an oral appliance. But what if you have a severe case of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), one that may require more than an appliance to address? In today’s blog, your Olathe, KS, dentists will discuss sleep apnea surgery!
Sleep Apnea and Health Complications
With OSA, you actually stop breathing several times in the night, often dozens of times in a single hour. You may occasionally waking up gasping for air of choking, but the reality is your sleep is interrupted constantly, preventing you from reaching the deep, uninterrupted REM sleep needed to feel rested and relaxed during the day. Over time, the disorder could strain your immune system so you become sick more frequently and could strain your heart health to increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.
When you exhibit the symptoms, such as daytime drowsiness, chronic snoring, waking up suddenly in the night, headaches, dry mouth, and moodiness, the please let us know right away!
Diagnosis and Oral Appliances
We could ask a series of questions to assess how we you’re resting, and identify possible risk factors. Next, we send you home with a small device that record any sleep issues at night so we can diagnose you with accuracy and precision. For most, we then create an oral appliance that is custom-fitted for your smile. The device is then worn as you sleep and helps prevent interruptions by stopping the collapse of the soft tissues, the complication that causes you to stop breathing in the night.
Surgery
When the cause of your OSA and chronic snoring is linked to problems with the size and position of certain structures and tissues in your mouth and throat, then an oral appliance alone may not be enough to ensure open and free airways as you rest. With surgery, we administer a numbing agent and sedation to help you enter a calm and relaxed state, with no memory of the procedure. We then carefully trim away excess tissues to reshape oral structures and keep airways free of obstruction as you sleep. Afterward, you won’t need an oral appliance or a CPAP machine to enjoy a night free of interruptions, and you enjoy a reduce risk of symptoms with time. If you have any questions about how we approach oral surgery to help you rest easier, or the steps we take to ensure the process is a comfortable one, then contact our team today.
Ready to Discuss Possible Solutions?
We want to help you rest with ease once again. For more information on how we treat trouble resting at night, or to schedule a dental consultation, call E-Care Dentistry, PA in Olathe, KS, today at 913-210-1701. We also proudly serve patients from Overland Park, Lenexa, and all surrounding communities.