Does your significant other say that you snore heavily, only to stop breathing suddenly throughout the night? Are you often sleepy during the day and never feel truly rested, despite getting a full night’s sleep? These could be signs of sleep apnea, a disorder during which your breathing pauses or becomes very shallow multiple times throughout the night due to obstruction in your airway.
Leaving sleep apnea untreated can leave you at risk for serious health problems, and even death. Schedule a Sleep Consultation with Dr. Dassani today to find out if your snoring might be something more serious.
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During sleep, the muscles in the mouth, jaw, and throat naturally relax. However, for those who have obstructive sleep apnea, these muscles become so relaxed that they collapse and obstruct the airway, making it difficult to breath and commonly stopping breathing for 10 or more seconds. The decreased flow of oxygen caused by sleep apnea usually results in sudden, repeated awakenings throughout the night – sometimes hundreds of times – and an overall poor quality of sleep.
Excess weight around the neck can compress the airway, disrupting normal breathing and sleep cycles. Many patients don’t know that they have sleep apnea, and therefore think it is harmless, but the disorder can cause low blood oxygen levels and even a severe form of congestive heart failure. Beyond the snoring and restless nights, the effects of obstructive sleep apnea can pose a number of serious health risks. Sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, depression, and diabetes, so it is important to recognize symptoms and get treatment before the condition worsens.
According to the National Institute of Health, 1 in 5 adult Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and 9 out 10 cases are undiagnosed. Houston residents who fall into one or more of the following categories are at the highest risk of developing sleep apnea:
Find out how likely you are to doze off at any time during the day, and calculate your risk for sleep apnea by taking the survey below.
If you’ve noticed any of the above signs or symptoms, and/or fall into any of the high risk categories, you should come in and speak with your Houston sleep specialist. A diagnosis and simple, non-invasive treatment could give you back your restful nights, your energized days, and might just save your life.
Sleep Apnea Screening
*This is not a diagnosis. Please consult a physicial.
Some of the symptoms are vague and may seem completely unrelated, which is why it important to see a healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Some signs of sleep apnea include:
Because symptoms are largely present during sleep and often go unnoticed, only a minority of sleep apnea sufferers have been diagnosed. We are working to change that in our community by raising awareness and offering Sleep Consultations and non-invasive treatment methods.
Once diagnosed, sleep apnea sufferers are often prescribed a CPAP machine, which stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. It delivers a stream of compressed air through a plastic tube connected to a nasal pillow, nose mask, or full-face mask. The air pressure helps maintain the airway open, making normal breathing possible.
While CPAP is widely considered the “gold standard” for treating sleep apnea, it is estimated that only around 40% of patients actually wear their CPAP masks because they can be:
Recent advances in technology now make it possible for Dr. Dassani to help treat sleep apnea with a device known as oral appliance therapy (OAT) which helps shift the jaw forward, opening up the airway.
If your sleep apnea is not severe enough to absolutely require CPAP or surgery, we would like to help you get the rest you deserve by creating a custom sleep apnea mouth appliance that will open your airway during sleep and allow you to breath normally. We offer multiple mouth appliance options because we understand that one option might not work best for all patients. Together with you and a sleep physician, we will discuss your options and decide which is likely to be your ticket to a full night’s rest. For the treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea, this conservative approach is an appealing alternative to surgery or intrusive CPAP machines.
If you are still wondering whether you may have sleep apnea, Dr. Dassani would love to speak with you. If diagnosed, your Houston dentist can help you take control of your nights, your days, your health, and your life with a simple, non-invasive treatment with oral appliance therapy.
Give us a call at Dassani Dentistry today or schedule your consultation online to take the first step. We’ve provided the New Patient Forms you will need to fill out below for your convenience.
Meghna Dassani, DMD
Dassani Dentistry
1600 C Clear Lake City Blvd.
Houston, TX 77062
| Monday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| Thursday | 8:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| (Closed Friday-Sunday) | |
