If you’re one of the more than 22 million Americans living with sleep apnea, it’s important you take steps to address the problem. Without proper treatment, sleep apnea increases your risk of serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes. At Dental Arts of Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, California, Arman Dayan, DDS, and the team treat sleep apnea using custom night guards and other methods of care. To schedule your appointment at the Los Angeles-based practice, call the office or book online today.
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing multiple times throughout the night. Ultimately, this makes it difficult to get a restful, rejuvenating night’s sleep.
Over time, a lack of sleep may affect your performance at work and safety behind the wheel of your car. Without diagnosis and treatment, sleep apnea also increases your risk of more serious health problems.
The symptoms of sleep apnea vary from person to person and depend on the severity of the condition. Common indications include:
If you have sleep apnea, you might also find it difficult to pay attention or remember things during the day.
At Dental Arts of Beverly Hills, the providers treat several types of sleep apnea, including:
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues at the back of your throat relax during sleep. This blocks airflow, causing you to wake up gasping for air.
Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain fails to send signals to the muscles that control your breathing. This makes you “forget” to breathe and causes you to wake up gasping for air.
Complex sleep apnea features symptoms of both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. This type of sleep apnea requires prompt medical attention.
To diagnose sleep apnea, your provider conducts an oral exam, reviews your oral health history, and asks you about your symptoms. If they suspect you have sleep apnea after gathering this information, they can refer you to a local clinic to undergo a sleep study.
A sleep study is an overnight test that monitors your heart and respiratory rate while you sleep.
Treatment of sleep apnea depends on the severity of your symptoms and their effect on your quality of life. Sometimes, healthy lifestyle changes like losing weight or quitting smoking are enough to prevent further problems.
If your symptoms persist, you might benefit from a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or a custom night guard. A night guard is an oral appliance that pushes your lower jaw forward. This makes it easier for you to breathe during sleep. In rare cases, surgical intervention may be necessary.
To schedule your sleep apnea appointment at Dental Arts of Beverly Hills, call the office or book online today.
