Sleep Apnea Solutions
If you are constantly drowsy and tired during the day or your snoring is bothering others, you may have sleep apnea. It is possible you feel that you slept well overnight, but you are continuously sleepy and tired during the day. Your partner may be complaining day and day out about your loud and disruptive snoring. If these scenarios might sound familiar, it is totally possible that you might be suffering from a sleep apnea disorder.
A proper dental evaluation is all it takes to make you aware of the possibility of having sleep apnea. The entire staff at Pan Orthodontics, at 7830 Main St. in Maple Grove, MN, is trained to identify and evaluate these sleep apnea issues. After an evaluation and proper testing, you may find out you indeed do suffer from this unfortunate disorder. Concerned? Call 952-926-3747 for your consultation today.
An estimated 22 million Americans are affected by the sleep apnea disorder. Sleep apnea causes an individual to have up to 20-30 pauses in their breathing every hour during sleep. Patients who suffer from sleep apnea will then suffer from a lack of oxygen which then alerts the brain. This alarm causes the patient to temporarily wake up and restart correct breathing. The result of this process leaves people suffering from poor quality sleep and the feeling of ongoing tiredness throughout the following day.
Sleep apnea quite often goes undiagnosed. It is difficult for many doctors to detect the condition during a routine office visit. There are also no blood tests that exist to aid in the diagnosing of the condition. The most common type of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). With OSA, the airway will collapse or is blocked while sleeping. This will result in shallow breathing or pauses in breathing.
Another version of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea. Unlike OSA, the airway is not blocked, but the brain will not signal the muscles to breathe because of an instability in the respiratory control center.
Sleep Study Equipment
During a sleep study, we will place surface electrodes on your face and your scalp. The electrodes will send recorded electrical signals to the measuring equipment. This machine digitally records signals which are generated by your brain and your muscle activity. Belts are also placed around your chest and abdomen to measure your breathing patterns. A bandage-like oximeter probe is placed on your finger which measures the oxygen level in your blood.
Some sleep apnea tests might include the following:
- ECG (electrocardiogram): records heart rate and rhythm
- EEG (electroencephalogram): measures and records brain-wave activity
- EMG (electromyogram): records muscle activity such as face twitches, teeth grinding, and leg movements to measure the presence of REM stage sleep. During REM sleep, patients often have intense dreams as the brain undergoes heightened activity
- Snore microphone used to record snoring activity
- EOG (electro-oculogram): records eye movements. These movements are important in determining the various stages of sleep, especially the REM stage
- Nasal airflow sensor used to record airflow
If you do your sleep study in a sleep center, you will be assigned a private bedroom in either the hospital or sleep center. A central monitoring area will be near the bedroom where technicians will monitor all sleeping patients.
Orthodontist Treatment Options
If you are in a sleep center lab for your sleep study, you will be assigned to a private bedroom in the hospital or sleep center. A central monitoring area will be near the bedroom where technicians monitor the sleeping patients.
Rapid Palatal Expander
For people who have a narrow upper jaw and have issues breathing through their nose, the upper jaw is expanded to be wider. The floor of the nose is expanded as well to create additional nasal volume. This orthodontic treatment is commonly performed on children. The rapid palatal expander is a dental appliance which is used to expand the upper jaw. The expander is an effective way for the treatment of sleep apnea. The expander therapy is sometimes combined with a tonsillectomy to achieve the maximum results for children.
Oral Appliances
If you a smaller lower jaw with an overbite, by pushing the tongue backward, the lower jaw is then repositioned forward using orthodontic appliances. For patients who do not prefer to have full braces, a simple oral appliance can be used during sleep at night. These oral appliances will prevent the tongue and soft tissue from collapsing which then keeps the airway open during sleep.
Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery
If you case is severe, orthognathic surgery is recommended in conjunction with braces. This has been proven to be the most effective surgical treatment for sleep apnea. Maxillomandibular advancement surgery is surgery which moves both the upper and lower jaws to correct discrepancies. For sleep apnea patients, the primary focus is to expand and increase the airway. In most cases, both the upper and lower jaws are moved forward. Once the bones have been surgically advanced, the soft tissues of the tongue and palate will also be moved forward which opens the upper airway.
Life Moving Forward without Sleep Apnea
The resulting improvement of sleeping well will be difficult to describe. Navigating through your day now gives you a new lease on life. Moving forward our team will suggest practicing good oral hygiene habits. We are your teammates. The staff at Pan Orthodontics at 7830 Main St. in Maple Grove, MN., will advise you to brush your teeth slowly and well, twice a day with a good toothbrush. We will also suggest that you floss at least once a day. These simple preventative measures remove the bacteria carrying plaque that sits on the enamel of your teeth. Twice a year visits to have regular, preventative checkup by Pan Orthodontics is an extremely wise thing to do. Call 952-925-3747 to schedule your appointment and evaluation to improve your sleep apnea today.
Pan Orthodontics Philosophy
To treat our patients as our families and to treat others as how we want to be treated. From your first phone call to the moment your new smile is born, everything in our office is set up to ensure an excellent experience with us. We will always listen to you and improve with your suggestions.
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Our Commitment to You
We will continue to keep up with the ever growing digital technologies to improve your orthodontic experience. We also commit to always help you find the most convenient time for your visit with us.
