Sleep Apnea

Your Mishawaka Dentist Can Help With Mild to Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Snoring, waking up gasping for air, continually feeling like you haven’t had enough sleep…these can all point to sleep apnea. And your dentist might be able to help. Dr. George A. Mighion can help mild to moderate OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) sufferers through a custom-designed oral appliance that can be used as an alternative to a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure).

If you have been told that you snore, it’s not just affecting your bed partner. It could be slowly taking a toll on your health. Your body will feel the effects (if it doesn’t already) of not getting enough restorative sleep. Taking action is essential.

About Sleep Apnea

Snoring often happens when your airway is partly obstructed while your body is horizontal. The airway obstruction will cause your body to wake, though not fully, repeatedly throughout the night. It can happen dozens of time per hour and it could be robbing you of the restorative sleep you need. The impact of lack of sleep is cumulative and could put you at risk for a variety of health problems, even premature death due to increased risk of heart disease and stroke. In the meantime, it can leave you feeling sluggish, affect moods, appetite, libido, and it could make operating heavy equipment, particularly first thing in the morning (your car, equipment at work) as dangerous as if you were impaired with alcohol.

A variety of things can cause sleep apnea including the jaw or tongue position as well as the shape of your airway. If you snore or wake up exhausted after what should be a full night of rest, it’s time to talk to Dr. Mighion about sleep apnea screening and potential options.

Oral Appliances to Help Stop Snoring & Stop Sleep Apnea

An oral appliance could keep your airway open and it’s much easier to sleep with than a CPAP machine, which is noisy, covers the face, requires elastics to hold the mouthpiece on, and so forth. While the CPAP machine is the absolute best way to keep the airways open while you sleep and might be the only option for those with severe cases of OSA, you might be a good candidate for oral appliance therapy for OSA. It could be the start of a better night’s sleep for you and everyone in your home as well as a renewed energy that you didn’t realize you were missing

New Patient Sleep Apnea Form

Sleep Apnea Affects Children, Too

Not all sleep apnea sufferers are adults. Children can benefit from sleep apnea dentistry in many cases, too. Does your child snore or are they restless at night? Sleep apnea in children can result in dark circles under the eyes, behavioral problems, bed-wetting, and learning problems. Sleep apnea in kids can be the result of large tonsils and adenoids.