If you have been told that you snore loudly and gasp for air when sleeping, or if you have experienced insomnia (i.e., sleeplessness at night) and sleepiness during the day, then you might have a sleep disorder called Sleep Apnea.

Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious condition in which a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts, disrupting their sleep. The pauses in breathing can last anywhere from seconds to minutes, and can occur between 5 to 30 times each hour, all night! The person is likely to wake up fatigued, irritable, and with a headache and dry mouth.

Sleep Apnea is commonly caused by an obstruction in the airway, which can be attributed to a tongue that is too large (macroglossia), tonsils that are too large, a jaw that is too small, or muscles in the back of the throat that become flaccid and close or narrow the airway. Sleep apnea untreated may lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and other serious complications. Approximately 18 million people in the United States alone are affected by sleep apnea, and many are not even aware of it. Here is where the dentist comes in.

The dentist has access to your airway and can determine if there are any potential obstructions that can disrupt eating or sleep. Moreover, the dentists here at Smile Rx Dental can provide custom appliances for you to treat your sleep apnea, such as a mouthguard, or a tongue retaining or mandibular (jaw) repositioning device.

Contact Smile Rx Dental (301-249-1571) today to treat your sleep apnea and rest easy. The prescription for your health starts here!