Blog

There is a very good chance that nearly all of us in London could go through life without even knowing that we suffer from sleep apnea, if we lived alone. It’s usually noticed by a long suffering partner. Apnea is a term used for abnormal pauses in breathing, or low breathing during sleep, lasting anything up to minutes at a time. Generally the problem is caused by the blocking of airflow into the lungs, which can lead to one of its more annoying manifestations- snoring. Diagnosing the problem correctly is done by monitoring sleep patterns at a clinic. This will decide on the type of treatment required. In extreme cases, surgery will be used, but if this can be avoided, there are several dental procedures and devices that can be used in the treatment of sleep apnea. The most popular is a mandibular advancement device that forces the jaw down and forwards to open the airway during sleep. Another device restrains the tongue to achieve the same affect. During the course of the treatment, the devices will be monitored, adjusted and replaced in order to continue the treatment and they have a better track record of success compared surgery. Another orthodontic technique involves a screw being applied to upper teeth and adjusted regularly to help reduce nasal pressure and promote breathing.
Most dentists will be able to direct you to the right course of treatment once the problem has been correctly diagnosed.