When you think of life-saving medical treatment, you likely visualize a scene from a TV show with doctors performing emergency surgery or solving a diagnosis. You probably don’t picture a doctor handing out a small device that looks much like clear braces. Yet sleep appliances, one of the most common treatments for sleep apnea, could have life-saving results.
At Thomas F. Brown Family & Sedation Dentistry in Naperville, IL, we offer vital treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Thomas Brown and Dr. Marie Huguelet are Frontline Dental Sleep and Bruxism Graduates. With their advanced training, they can provide a comfortable, custom-made, and effective device.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, don’t neglect treatment that could save your life. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment.
Sleep Apnea: An Overview
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition that frequently goes undiagnosed. When individuals suffer from OSA, their airways close off while they sleep, often due to drooping soft tissues in the throat or soft palate. Other times, their tongues may relax and fall back into their throat openings. Every time the airway is blocked, patients will stop breathing, and they will wake up, even though they may be unaware that they are doing so.
Sleep Apnea and Heart Health
You’ve heard that a good night’s sleep is important, but you may not realize exactly how important it is. Patients with untreated sleep apnea are 140% more likely to suffer from heart failure and 30% more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.
This is because sudden drops in oxygen cause the body to release adrenaline. Chronic inflated levels of adrenaline can strain the cardiovascular system. Sleep interruptions can also raise the levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood.
Sleep Apnea and Diabetes
Untreated sleep apnea can also increase your risk for type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, if you already have diabetes, leaving sleep apnea untreated can make the first condition worse. When you have low oxygen levels in your blood, you will have increased amounts of carbon dioxide. In turn, elevated carbon dioxide can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes.
Sleep Apnea and Car Accidents
Daytime sleepiness is not only unpleasant and embarrassing. If you fall asleep behind the wheel, it can be fatal. In fact, one study showed that patients with severe, untreated sleep apnea had a 123% higher risk for car accidents than patients without a sleep disorder.
How Sleep Appliances Treat OSA
The consequences of sleep apnea are alarming, but tiny, discrete sleep appliances can improve your sleep, reduce your health risks, and maybe even extend your life. Dr. Brown or Dr. Huguelet will custom design your appliance by taking impressions and measurements of your mouth. By slightly repositioning your jaw while you sleep, it will tighten the soft tissues to keep them from falling back in your throat.
You should grow accustomed to the device after just a few nights, meaning you will enjoy a better and more complete night’s rest than you may have had in years.
Contact Us to Get Fitted for Your Sleep Appliance
Sleep appliances are remarkably simple, but it takes skill and expertise to design a truly effective device. Contact our Naperville office to benefit from our doctors’ experience.
You can schedule an appointment online or call us at (630) 369-3120.