For Adults
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is incredibly common among older adults, with prevalence estimated to be up to 50% depending on age and gender.
This condition, where you stop breathing during sleep, prevents the flow of oxygen to the brain for short periods, thereby affecting your quality of sleep.
Often, sleep apnoea is either not recognised or simply diagnosed as ‘mild’ and therefore not worth treating. However sleep apnoea can have major effects on your long-term health. Treating mild sleep apnoea with an oral appliance is safe and effective, and can prevent sleep apnoea in adults from becoming more severe.
PROBLEM
Snoring occurs when is obstruction to the airflow in the airways. But not everyone with sleep apnoea snores, as there has to be some air movement to snore.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a blockage of upper airways that does not allow a flow of the air to the lungs, despite the effort of the lungs and diaphragm in trying to breathe. Failing to treat sleep apnoea can result in shorter lifespan, strokes, increased hypertension, morning headaches, insomnia and automotive accidents from loss of concentration or even falling asleep at the wheel.
This article explains more about the symptoms and risks associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in adults, as well as options for treatment.
SOLUTION
The most common treatment for sleep apnoea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. However, this treatment requires that you wear a mask while you sleep, which can be a difficult regimen for some people to adhere to.
Dental sleep medicine is an area of dental practice that focuses on the recognition and co-treatment of sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring, grinding and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). Our dentist, Dr Mariola Prokop, works together with medical professionals and sleep physicians to identify the best treatment for each patient. A custom-fit oral sleep appliance is an effective and less obtrusive treatment for OSA that prevents the airway from collapsing by supporting the jaw in a forward position.
Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS)
Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS) uses upper and lower plates which purpose is to keep lower jaw forward during the sleep.
This custom-fit oral sleep appliance is an effective treatment that prevents the airway from collapsing by moving and supporting the jaw in a forward position.
Myofunctional Therapy
Myofunctional therapy strengthens muscles around upper airways and establish correct tongue posture which moves the tongue forward, opening airways.
Specially designed exercises help to strengthen the appropriate muscles.
Breathing re-training using Buteyko technique
The Buteyko Breathing Technique is a specific set of breathing exercises and techniques that are designed to correct dysfunctional breathing by changing unhealthy breathing habits such as mouth breathing, and restoring balance carbon dioxide levels. Buteyko is most widely known as a method for controlling and reducing asthma, sleep apnoea, snoring and hyperventilation.
Retraining mouth-breathers to nasal-breathers improves the position of the tongue which opens the upper airways.
RESULT
There is very good evidence that managing upper airway obstruction has a favourable outcome for adults. Treating even the mildest cases of OSA will greatly improve your quality of sleep, which in turn increases energy levels, productivity and mental well-being. It can also prevent long-term, adverse effects on your heart, metabolism and overall health. It may just help you live longer!
To find out whether Braceless Choice can help you, please get in touch today.