Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly starts and stops. People who snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep may have sleep apnea to blame. There are a few different types of sleep apnea, and fortunately, with the right treatment, it can be cured and symptoms can be eased.
At Smile On Dental Salon & Sleep Apnea Center, we are Illinois’ most trusted sleep apnea dentist. We utilize a special oral appliance to treat sleep apnea, along with CPAP machines. We know that sleep apnea can be a debilitating disorder, and our sleep apnea doctor takes the time to listen to your symptoms and provide you with a simple and easy-to-follow treatment plan.
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What is Sleep Apnea?
Also known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), sleep apnea is a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep because the airway becomes obstructed by the soft tissue in the back of your throat. Your body responds to this interruption by waking you up just enough to move, rousing you out of deep sleep, which disturbs normal sleep patterns and causes you to not get enough rest. People with sleep apnea can experience hundreds of these episodes each night without realizing it.
Is it Curable?
When asking the question, “can you cure sleep apnea?” the answer is yes, with the correct treatment. Our sleep dentist recommends an oral appliance that is designed to keep your throat open. Once you find an appliance that fits, it is important that you keep up with your dentist for follow-up appointments to ensure that it is doing its job properly. Other popular ways to treat sleep apnea include CPAP machines, surgery, and lifestyle changes.
How to Test for it
Next, if you’re wondering how to test for sleep apnea, there are a couple of different testing methods. If our sleep dentist suspects that you may have sleep apnea, the first thing he’ll suggest is getting tested via an in-clinic overnight sleep study or an in-home sleep apnea test.
- In-Clinic Overnight Sleep Study: You will sleep overnight at a clinic or a lab and are given a PSG, which records your sleep patterns.
- Home Sleep Apnea Test: Our popular at-home sleep apnea test is the Apnea Risk Evaluation System. It allows you to test your own sleep from the comfort of your home.
Factors that May Contribute to Cause
Why do people get sleep apnea? Sometimes OSA can be a genetic condition that people cannot control, but other times, there are risk factors. These include:
- Excess weight
- Neck circumference
- A narrowed airway
- Smoking
- Nasal congestion
- Use of alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers
Get in Touch with Illinois’ Most Trusted Sleep Apnea Dentist
Smile On Dental Salon and Sleep Apnea Center was established to provide our patients with dental care services and sleep apnea treatment in a state-of-the-art dentist office. Serving both the North Shore and Chicago Metro, our sleep dentist, Dr. Paul Poncza, has successfully treated hundreds of patients suffering from snoring and sleep apnea.
Get in touch with us by calling (773) 525-5545.