Learn How Sleep Dentistry May Improve Your Heart Health

Have you ever considered how sleep dentistry could benefit your entire health? If you are snoring often or have sleep apnea, you should be aware that losing sleep or getting poor quality sleep can impact more than just your mood. The American Thoracic Society published a paper titled, “Sleep Mini Series #4 Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease”. This organization, dedicated to education, treatment and innovation in the field of heart health, connected the importance of sleep with decreasing the risk for heart disease.

Sleep Apnea and Heart Health

When exploring the connection between obstructive sleep apnea and heart health, ATS wrote that “if you have obstructive sleep apnea there is a 50 percent chance you also have hypertension.” Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can impact the body in a variety of ways. While many people try to control it with medication, treating the sleep apnea may be more beneficial. While the exact results differ with each patient, sleep apnea is easy to treat and we recommend that patients start here.

Sleep Apnea and Coronary Artery Disease

The ATS further reported that out of the patients seen at the hospital for coronary artery disease, 70 percent also had obstructive sleep apnea. This is a staggering percentage, especially when you consider that heart disease kills 2,200 Americans per day. One out of every three people that die in the U.S. dies from heart disease for a total of 800,000 deaths per year. When considering that 70 percent of people treated for coronary artery disease have sleep apnea, one must consider how many lives could be saved by having the condition treated using sleep dentistry.

Sleep Apnea Solutions

We practice sleep dentistry in our Irvine dentist office as an easy way to address sleep apnea. Many people suffer from this condition and, as demonstrated, it can impact several areas of life. Not getting a restful night's sleep can make it difficult to engage in normal daily activities, stay awake while driving and be in a good mood. Given the connection between sleep apnea and heart disease, treating the condition may also save one's life and doing so is easier than people may think.

We treat sleep apnea using a non-invasive, non-surgical solution. People struggling with obstructive sleep apnea have trouble breathing when their jaw falls backward and their tongue follows it. The tongue then blocks the airways, eliminating the ability to breathe clearly and freely while sleeping. The body overcompensates leading to snoring and at times, choking. In order to treat the condition, some doctors will prescribe a CPAP machine that the patient wears at night in order to receive more oxygen. While the CPAP machine is extremely effective, the machine is bulky and can make it difficult to sleep. Our method, on the other hand, is convenient, portable and comfortable.

We can treat sleep apnea by making an impression of the mouth then having the dental lab create a removable oral appliance that one wears at night. The appliance looks like a cross between a full retainer and a full set of dentures. The appliance surrounds both the upper and lower teeth, holding them in place, thereby preventing the jaw and tongue from falling backward. As a result of this simple step, you will be able to breathe clearly and your health will also improve.