Fed up with snoring every night? How our team at Spa Dental Sydney CBD can help you!

When you hear the words ‘sleep dentistry’, you could be forgiven for assuming it involves dental techniques performed while you are asleep, or sedated.

In actuality, many dental surgeries now offer their patients sleep dentistry, which revolves around how your dental health can impact on your sleep patterns.

Confused? Don’t worry! This field of dentistry explores underlying dental issues that can negatively impact your sleep, such as misalignment of the teeth or jaws that do not fit comfortably together, causing grinding and bruxing. It also helps patients who are known for snoring and keeping their bed partners up all night!

At Spa Dental, our dentist in Sydney CBD is able to assess any issues that you may have that are impacting your sleep; gaps in the teeth, incorrect jaw alignment and even medications can cause you to imitate a foghorn as you sleep! Our team will resolve to improve your sleep, leaving you feeling more refreshed and alert, without headaches, neck pain or jaw discomfort. Perfect!

Want to know more about sleep dentistry? Read on!

What causes snoring?

Snoring is actually a symptom of an underlying issue and can be very problematic.

Typically, snoring is caused by your lower jaw sliding back into your throat as you sleep, causing intermittent blockages; this is known as obstructive sleep apnoea. Our dentist in Sydney CBD will also aim to look for other causes of snoring before testing for sleep apnoea, which may include lifestyle factors, medications or underlying health conditions.

How do your team assess the cause?

As mentioned before, our dentist in Sydney CBD will ask you questions about your lifestyle and enquire about the use of any prescription medications.

We will not advise you to stop taking any medication; that is up to the discretion of your doctor, but we will assess if they are one of the causes of your snoring. We may also refer you to a sleep clinic to assess how much your snoring is impacting your sleep.

Does wearing the oral device hurt?

If our team decides that a nocturnal device is the best way to relieve your snoring, you may be happy to know that it is not uncomfortable.

It fits into your mouth like a sports guard, keeping your lower jaw in place and your airway open. An oral device is perfect for resolving mild to moderate cases of sleep apnoea.

What is a CPAP machine?

A continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) resembles an oxygen mask and applies an airstream to the back of your throat, keeping your airway open as you sleep.

This is used for more extreme cases of sleep apnoea.

Will I need to wear the appliances provided for the rest of my life?

Unless you are going to undertake surgery to correct the underlying issue, you will need to wear the oral device or CPAP machine for the rest of your life.

Lifestyle changes can help reduce the need for the device, so contact your doctor for advice.

DISCLAIMER

All dental treatments carry potential risks. Contact your local dental team for more information about the procedures mentioned in this article.