Breakthrough treatment for snoring and sleep apnoea
Dental Sleep Appliances
Is snoring or sleepiness a problem?
For many people snoring is no joking matter! It can have a huge impact on relationships, and it could also be affecting your health. It can also be a sign of a medical condition called sleep apnoea.
Your Dentist has the best solution
Dental sleep appliances are scientifically proven and widely regarded by sleep physicians as the best available treatment for snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnoea.
Comfortable and easy to use
Dental sleep appliances are comfortable and easy to use with studies demonstrating 95% effectiveness in overcoming snoring.
Recent guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recognise dental sleep appliances as a frontline treatment for snoring and mild-to-moderate sleep apnoea. In severe cases of sleep apnoea the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine is the optimal treatment, in which air pressure of adjustable intensity is delivered through a nasal mask worn during sleep. However many people find it very difficult, or just cannot use CPAP. Dental sleep appliances are an excellent alternative therapy for people with severe sleep apnoea when CPAP is not tolerated, or when travelling, camping, or in any situation with no access to electricity.
How do they work?
A dental sleep appliance works by holding the lower jaw slightly forward, bringing the tongue with it, and preventing the tissues at the back of the throat from collapsing back into the airway. This keeps the airway open.
Sleep Apnoea
If you snore you might also have sleep apnoea.
If you wake unrefreshed and are sleepy during the day then your snoring may be more than just noise – it may be a sign of an underlying medical condition called sleep apnoea.
Up to 75% of adults who regularly snore have sleep apnoea, with most unaware they have this condition. Sleep apnoea is caused by soft tissues in the throat, including the tongue, collapsing against the back of the throat. This blocks the upper airway and air flow stops.
This cycle of apnoea – obstruction and breathing can occur many times per hour during sleep. Sleep apnoea can cause high blood pressure, heart and health problems and is an important cause of excessive daytime sleepiness.
Do you have sleep apnoea?
It is important to distinguish between:
a. People who just snore
b. People who snore and also have sleep apnoea
Self assessment for sleep apnoea
- Do you snore loudly?
- Is snoring a problem for others?
- Do you wake feeling unrefreshed?
- Are you often sleepy during the day? – eg. Do you fall asleep at meetings, reading or watching TV?
- Has anyone heart you snort, gasp or hold your breath during sleep?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions you may be suffering from more than just snoring, you may have obstructive sleep apnoea. It is recommended you call our practice to organise a diagnostic sleep study.
Benefits of dental appliance therapy:
- You and your partner can look forward to a quiet night’s sleep
- Wake up refreshed and revitalised
- Improved quality of life through greater vitality and participation
- Improved work performance due to greater concentration and energy levels
- Decreased risk of fatigue-related vehicle and work accidents
- Decreased risk of heart disease, stroke and blood pressure problems
Diagnosing sleep apnoea
Home Monitoring – Diagnosis in the comfort of your own home.
A sleep monitoring device is taken home, and is simple to connect and sleep with.
The device is returned the next day and the parameters of sleep are measured, and the results evaluated by a sleep physician, with a diagnosis made for both the presence and severity of sleep apnoea.
Sleep tests are inexpensive. We can refer you to a Sleep Services Specialist for these tests.
“Dental sleep appliances are effective in the management of snoring; it is also a well accepted and commonly used modality of treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea of mild to moderate severity.”
Dr Vikas Wadhwa MBBS, FRACP
Respiratory and Sleep Physician
“Oral appliances are proven effective in mild to moderate sleep apnoea and are very well tolerated. The devices are simple and are a good non-surgical alternative.
The primary advantages, compared to the CPAP machine, are that they are more portable, make no noise, are better tolerated, and require no significant care…”
Professor John Truelson MD FACS
Associate Professor, University of Texas
For more information, please contact Dr. Harrison at Snoring Solutions today on 1300 4U2SLEEP
(1300 4827 5337) or click here to email us now.
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