If you find yourself waking up in the morning feeling tired or experience morning headaches, you may benefit from oral appliance therapy through The Sleep Therapy Center of North Florida.
Dr. Alexander has opened The Sleep Therapy Center of North Florida where he treats patients who suffer from snoring and/or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dr. Alexander can relieve symptoms of snoring and OSA with the aid of custom-made oral appliances such as snore guards, night guards and dental splints.
What Do Sleep Disorders Have To Do With Dentistry?
Most people don’t realize the strong correlation between dentistry and sleep disorders. Dr. Alexander has special training to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with oral appliance therapy. Snoring and OSA are usually caused by a blockage in the airway that stops air from flowing freely.
How Does Oral Appliance Therapy Help?
There are different types of oral appliances. Dr. Alexander will select a type that is best suited for your condition and custom make it to fit your mouth. Regardless of the type, an oral appliance works by keeping the airway open, allowing breath to flow freely. This gives the person a more restful sleep without the interruptions caused by snoring or OSA.
The oral appliance works in several ways:
- Repositioning the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate or uvula
- Stabilizing the lower jaw and tongue
- Increasing the muscle tone of the tongue
What Causes Snoring?
The snoring sound is produced when air passes over loose tissue, causing it to vibrate. There are varying degrees of snoring, but any amount of snoring is disruptive to normal sleep patterns for both the snorer and sleep partner. Snoring can lead to obstructive sleep apnea which has been linked to heart failure, high blood pressure and stroke, as well as Type II Diabetes.
There are many things that you can do to prevent or lessen snoring, including:
- Try sleeping on your side instead of your back. Sleeping on your back can make snoring worse.
- Avoid alcohol and sedatives at bedtime, as they can relax the muscles in the throat, causing you to snore.
- Maintain a healthy weight, people who are overweight or obese are more likely to snore.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that causes a person to temporarily stop breathing during sleep. OSA is caused by a blockage in the airway, usually when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses. Even if the person isn’t fully awakened, OSA disrupts sleep, as it causes the person to come out of sleep to resume breathing.
Sleep is important to the overall health of the body. If you aren’t getting the restful sleep you need, contact the Sleep Therapy Center of North Florida to schedule your consultation with Dr. Alexander to evaluate which treatment methods are right for you.
