Is snoring the bane of your life?
Help, I can’t sleep!…
Snoring is a very common complaint with about 35% of all adults snoring occasionally and 10% most nights. It is more common in men than in women and particularly in the middle aged and elderly up to around 75 years. It is related to being overweight but can also occur in thin individuals.
Snoring is due to vibration of the tissues of the upper airway due to turbulence of air in this area particularly on inspiration. The vibration usually involves the soft palate, the back of the tongue and the back wall of the throat.
Snoring Treatment
The aim of treatment for simple or uncomplicated snoring is to allow the person’s partner to sleep in an undisturbed manner.
Help for the partner: The partner should be reassured that snoring is completely involuntary (although alcohol will increase the noise). Falling asleep before the snorer or the use of earplugs can help. Occasional use of a separate bedroom can reduce sleep deprivation and annoyance. Long-term treatment of partner with sleeping tablets is not recommended.
First steps:
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Weight loss. This is particularly important in very overweight patients but sometimes the weight gain of a half to one stone can change a silent sleeper into a noisy one. Obviously, weight loss should be maintained through attention to diet and exercise.
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Keep alcohol intake low and early.
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Avoid late night meals.
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Stop smoking but watch weight gain.
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Sleep on side or abdomen. Most snorers will snore more loudly and consistently on their backs. Avoiding this position may be achieved by using a ball in a sock pinned to back of night apparel so that discomfort will help prevent snorer staying in this position.
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Improve nasal airway using dilator (strips or clip).
How does Oral Appliance Therapy Work?
Oral appliances hold the lower jaw in a forward position, dilates the upper airway and preventing it from collapsing. This helps to:
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eliminate or reduce snoring noise levels
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improve sleep quality and general energy levels on wakening
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treat sleep apnoea disease progression
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improves bed partners sleep quality of life.
The Beacon Dental Clinic provide the following additional services
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Referral from consultant led medical diagnosis of sleep disordered breathing, noisy loud snoring and suspected sleep apnoea.
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CBT referral or medical advice for sleep disorder management.
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Dietician and weight management referral if indicated.
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Dental health care education.
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Routine in office dental healthcare
Process of our Oral Appliance Therapy Program
Assessments
If you are referred to the Beacon Dental Sleep Medicine Clinic by a medical consultant, we will then assess your suitability for Oral Appliance Therapy. This will involve a dental examination, an x-ray and a trial oral appliance, if indicated.
If you have not been seen by a doctor, we will refer you to the appropriate medical consultant before further assessment.
Treatment Interventions
In the Treatment phase, you will be fitted with an oral appliance by an experienced restorative dentist with expertise in the field of dental sleep medicine, who will control and monitor your progress and response to treatment. All patients of the Beacon Dental Sleep Medicine Clinic are seen one week and one month following initial appliance delivery. You will also be provided with clear instructions as to the best use and care of your oral appliance.
Follow up appointments
All patients with sleep apnoea diagnosis are referred back at this stage to their medical consultant for evaluation. The oral appliance is re-evaluated at the Beacon Dental Clinic at specified internals to evaluate its mechanical integrity and performance.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Dentists have pioneered the use of oral appliance therapy for the treatment of sleep apnoea and sleep related breathing disorders. An oral appliance is a device worn in the mouth only during sleep. The device fits like a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer and prevents the airway from collapsing by either holding the tongue or supporting the jaw in a forward position. With an oral appliance, dentists can minimise or eliminate the symptoms of sleep apnoea in mild to moderate cases.
Dentists with training in oral appliance therapy work closely with sleep physicians in the diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care for sleep related breathing disorders. The Irish Sleep Society, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommend that a physician must diagnose sleep disorders including sleep apnoea. Sleep physicians at sleep laboratories use an overnight sleep study to detect and diagnose sleep apnoea.
Once a patient is diagnosed with sleep apnoea or a sleep related breathing disorder, dentists may provide treatment. Dentists assist patients in the selection and fitting of an oral appliance and provide long-term follow-up care.
Click here to contact the Beacon Dental Clinic today to get more information about our snoring treatment options
Accreditations
Beacon Dental Clinic, Beacon Consultants Clinic, Dublin, D18 E7P4, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 213 5644 | Fax: +353 1 213 5645 | Email: info@beacondental.ie
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