Snoring may appear to be a reasonably unimportant issue, but it can have a profoundly negative impact on you (and your partner) and significantly lower your quality of life in general.
Snoring can be a symptom of other problems and can have a much bigger impact on your slumber than you might think.
Anyone who snores frequently should schedule an appointment with a doctor to discuss the issue and attempt to identify the root of the issue. It should be treated more carefully than just as a little nighttime annoyance.
A visit to your doctor is probably the best place to start for a diagnosis, but if you already know that you have a condition, your dental office may be able to provide assistance.
Why snoring could be a sign of a greater problem.
Snoring may be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, in which the muscles in the neck "collapse" while the patient is asleep, causing the person to suddenly awaken and frequently snore loudly.
Every night, several of these events may take place, but the individual with sleep apnea is not aware of anything aside from waking up feeling extremely exhausted and without any energy.
Snoring, excessive tiredness, and other symptoms associated with chronic fatigue, such as irritability, anxiety or melancholy, and forgetfulness, are some of the signs.
Snoring Dental Devices
How Your Dentist Can Help with Snoring: The Dental Surgery Seeing your GP would be the first step to diagnosing sleep apnea, but treatment could be through a dentist.
We would make a specialized mandibular advancement device.
This is a bespoke mouth guard that fits comfortably over your teeth but holds the lower jaw and tongue forward, preventing the temporary collapse of tissue that leads to sudden waking.
Difference between Dental and Off-the-Shelf Snoring Devices
It is worth noting that although these devices can be bought over the counter or online, they will not fit properly, so they will either be ineffective or uncomfortable and are likely to be a waste of money.
A dental practice would take an impression of your mouth to create a custom-fit device.
A dental surgery would also be able to factor in any other complications, such as gum disease or misalignment of teeth, and create a mandibular advancement device that is suitable.
Other reasons to see a dentist when you suffer from snoring include How Your Dentist Can Help with Snoring The Dental Surgery Snoring can also have other knock-on effects. Even if snoring is not a sign of sleep apnea, there are still side effects of snoring that a dentist can help with. Since snoring causes a person to sleep with their mouth open, this can lead to a dry mouth due to the lack of saliva, which in turn leads to bad breath. It has also been linked to other issues, such as burning mouth syndrome and even gum disease. It is only by having regular checkups that early signs of any gum issues can be spotted. This is important in making sure the relatively minor and easily treatable gingivitis does not progress into the far more problematic periodontitis—full-blown gum disease that leads to the loss of bone.
Snoring can also lead to teeth grinding; the National Sleep Foundation claims that nearly one in four people with obstructive sleep apnea grind their teeth at night. This could mean that wearing a specialized mouth guard while sleeping is recommended to avoid tooth damage.
Snoring can also have other knock-on effects. Even if you don’t suffer from sleep apnea, snoring is still likely to lead to a bad night’s sleep, which, in turn, can lead to stress, which is then linked to a whole range of conditions ranging from heart disease to gum disease. Of course, solving snoring does not make someone immune from serious health complaints, but it does remove a potential contributory factor.
Make it part of your standard checkup.
Snoring may indicate something slightly more severe (but treatable) like sleep apnea, or it may simply be an annoyance in and of itself.
Even though you might not need to see your doctor or dentist right away, you should still have it looked out for.
At your subsequent routine checkup, you should definitely bring up snoring so that the dentist can look for any indications that it might be harming your dental health and take appropriate action.
Other Ways to Tackle Snoring
Without resorting to dousing your partner in cold water to wake them up and halt the noise, there are other sensible practices that can help you deal with snoring.
The brain can unwind by turning off all technological devices an hour or so before bedtime and by abstaining from all caffeinated beverages and fatty or spicy foods.
Even if you spend the day at the workplace, it's still essential to get some fresh air. Getting some exercise during the day is also beneficial, as is going outside to enjoy some natural sunlight.
From snoring and teeth-grinding mouthguards to cosmetic dentistry and gum disease treatment, we provide a broad range of dental services.
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