Sleep Apnea Snoring Treatment
A dentist will look at the symptoms of a patient, which will direct him whether or not to recommend a polysomnography or sleep study. Only after a sleep study is done, can a diagnosis of sleep apnea be made. Once diagnosed, the dentist and patient have a wide array of sleep apnea treatment options, depending on the type suffered and its underlying cause. The treatment also depends upon whether or not the patient exhibits nighttime snoring and its possible causes.
For the most common type, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), sleep apnea treatment options might include some form of surgery, an oral appliance or a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask. If there is tissue that is blocking the airway and causing snoring, the dentist is likely to suggest surgery to correct the problem. Fewer sleep apnea treatment choices are available for central sleep apnea (CSA) where a physical deformity is not the cause.
A dentist might first suggest a sleep apnea oral appliance for the patient. This is a device that moves the jaw, so that more air can get into the lungs during the night. Many times these are tolerated more easily than CPAP masks. It is also a non-invasive option to try before resorting to surgery. After the sleep apnea oral appliance is introduced, follow-up visits with the dentist are required to ensure proper fit and effectiveness. If the oral appliance or CPAP mask does not seem to be working, a dentist would then suggest surgery.
Surgery as an obstructive sleep apnea treatment or and sleep apnea snoring treatment is the most invasive option, but it is also the most long-lasting and can even cure sleep apnea by completely removing the cause. The simplest surgery is somnoplasty and it just removes a small amount of soft tissue from the back of the throat. If a deviated septum in the nose is the cause, the sleep apnea treatment might be nasal surgery to correct that defect. Another, more pervasive procedure to reduce soft tissue in the airway is Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Under a general anesthesia, a doctor will take out soft tissue from the back of the mouth, the top of the throat and usually the tonsils and adenoids, as well. Unfortunatly, UPPP and somnoplasty may not fix sleep apnea if it is caused by an obstruction further down in the throat. There are other surgical procedures a physician may follow if somnoplasty or UPPP do not work. Maxillomandibular advancement might be tried if the problem is the shape of the jaw. Working with an oral surgeon or an orthodontist, the doctor will move the upper and lower jaw forward to open up more space at the back of the throat. Usually to ensure success, this is often coupled with other treatment options. Lastly, if all else fails, the doctor might discuss the possibility of a tracheostomy. A tracheostomy is a sleep apnea treatment that involves making an incision in the windpipe and inserting a tube. During the day, the patient covers the tube and breathes normally, but at night, the tube is uncovered and helps to increase the oxygen the patient takes in at night.
Central sleep apnea treatments might also be shared by those who suffer from OSA. One of these is a continuous positive airflow pressure (CPAP) mask. A patient simply wears this mask at night, allowing it to force a constant flow of air to the lungs through the nostrils. Since air flow is not interrupted, sleep apnea symptoms usually diminish. Before beginning sleep apnea treatment, though, for both types, a doctor will always suggest behavior modifications to try to naturally remedy the issue. Some of these would include losing weight, not sleeping on ones back, stopping smoking, changing positions during the night, and avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills. Should behavior modifications work, further sleep apnea treatment is not necessary.
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