If you know anyone who has sleep apnea, you’ve probably heard all about the CPAP machine they have to wear at night. If you don’t think that sounds comfortable, you’re right. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg – sleep apnea causes many more problems.
What’s good to know is that there’s a high chance our orthodontists can fix your sleep apnea problems. That means you’ll never have to use a CPAP machine. Let’s look at how that’s possible.
What is it?
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which your airway closes frequently throughout the night, causing you to run out of oxygen and stop breathing. A sudden jerk awake – which you almost never remember – helps you resume regular breathing. The problem is that this happens dozens of times per night.
That many moments of being jerked awake is obviously not good for your sleep. So what is there that can be done to help prevent or treat sleep apnea?
Treatment
Dr. Donald Liang and Dr. Christopher Liang at Liang Orthodontics in Potomac, Maryland have the tools to help treat your sleep apnea. One of the most common treatments is a mouthguard, otherwise known as an oral appliance. This guard fits in your mouth and is designed to be worn at night. It might take a bit of getting used to, but not much. What it does is tilts your jaw at such an angle that your airway stays open throughout the night. This eliminates the need to wake up to breathe.
This form of treatment is favorable for those patients who have mild to moderate sleep apnea. To see if it could help you with your sleep apnea problems, give us a call today at 301-983-3132. We can’t wait to help you start sleeping better!