Sleep Apnea Treatment – Minot, ND
Take Back Your Sleep with Personalized Care
Millions of Americans suffer from sleep apnea, but the startling part is that many of them are living with the condition without realizing it. This is because detecting the symptoms can be quite difficult to detect, especially if you live alone. Souris Valley Dental Group wants to help you protect your overall health just as much as your oral health, and treating sleep apnea may be essential to helping you enjoy excellent rest. If you snore loudly, find it difficult to start your day because of fatigue, or experience chronic headaches after waking up, give our dental office a call so we can confirm if you have the condition and determine your best options for sleep apnea treatment in Minot, ND!
Why Choose Souris Valley Dental Group for Sleep Apnea Treatment?
- In-office and At-home Sleep Testing
- Sleep Apnea Therapy Customized for You
- Comfortable and Friendly Dental Office
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is a health condition characterized by the patient’s airway becoming constricted due to the weight the other tissues in the neck place on the windpipe when they relax during sleep. This condition can lead to loud snoring, the patient waking up more than a hundred times in a single night in extreme cases, and a host of other overall health issues.
The Dangers of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can lead to serious symptoms like:
- Grogginess
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Depression
- Overeating
- Reliance on stimulants like caffeine or nicotine
- Falling asleep while using machinery
In addition to these symptoms, sleep apnea may make a person more likely to develop serious health conditions like stroke, cardiovascular illness, and diabetes.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
Sleep apnea can be hard to self-diagnose unless you share a bed with a partner. Even then, common symptoms of sleep apnea, such as loud and frequent snoring, do not necessarily confirm that sleep apnea is present. That is where sleep tests come in. Whether you’d prefer to do them here at our dental office or within the comfort of your own home, sleep tests allow us to understand your body’s behavior during rest. From there, we can personalize your treatment plan.
While many people assume that uncomfortable CPAP machines are the only way to address sleep apnea, the team at Souris Valley Dental Group is proud to offer noninvasive oral appliances that can help patients breathe more easily at night. These customized devices hold the lower jaw in a forward position, which makes it harder for the tissues of the neck to interfere with normal breathing. This can help a patient consistently achieve more pleasant and refreshing sleep.
Sleep Apnea FAQs
Does everyone who snores have sleep apnea?
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive, which occurs when your airways are blocked, resulting in interrupted breathing that prevents you from getting quality rest. An estimated 20 million people (or about 20% of adults) suffer from this condition, which can have a lasting impact on their oral and overall health.
Although this disorder often causes choking and gagging, that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone who snores has developed it. Taking a sleep test can help assess your circadian rhythms to determine whether you are suffering from it and, if so, how severely.
Why should I see a dentist for sleep apnea treatment?
Are you curious why it’s beneficial to visit a dentist rather than a doctor to address your nighttime disorder? After all, a medical physician is often required to officially diagnose it, so why should you visit an oral healthcare provider to treat it?
The truth is that dentists have extensive knowledge about the mouth, jaw, throat, and neck that allows them to provide services to reduce your symptoms. For instance, many can provide custom-fitted oral appliances that help keep your jaw in its correct alignment to ensure that your airways remain open.
How long are apnea events/episodes?
People with sleep apnea, by definition, experience at least 5 or more breathing interruptions (also referred to as events or episodes) every hour they’re resting. Typically, your condition is considered mild if you experience 5 to 15 instances, moderate if you suffer from 15 to 30 events, and severe if you have 30+ episodes in this timeframe.
These instances usually last for 10 or more seconds, though in extreme cases, they might last as long as 2 minutes. The longer they last, the more likely you are to experience health concerns associated with the lack of oxygen caused by these interruptions.
Can I diagnose sleep apnea on my own?
If you wake yourself up snoring at night and frequently feel tired, moody, or have a headache, you might assume it’s sleep apnea and seek treatment. However, you must have an official diagnosis before pursuing a potential solution.
At our office in Minot, we offer both in-office and at-home sleep testing to help determine whether you’re suffering from sleep apnea and if so, how severe your condition is. Then our team can use the results of your study to develop a customized treatment plan that meets your individual needs.