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Sleep Apnea Treatment for Adults and Children.

Loud snoring or waking up gasping? You might have sleep apnea—a serious condition where breathing stops during sleep.
Atlanta Orthodontic Specialists offers sleep apnea treatment in Atlanta for both kids and adults. Early treatment in children can correct airway issues for life, and adults have effective options too for better, safer sleep.

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What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts while you’re asleep. Most cases of sleep apnea are caused by obstructions or malformations in the airway, such as enlarged adenoids, a deviated septum, tongue ties, tooth and jaw misalignment, and issues with the dental arch.

Orthodontic Treatments For Sleep Apnea.

For sleep apnea patients, we often recommend expanders, especially for children. Expanding the roof of the mouth also widens the nasal passages, allowing better airflow and reducing airway collapse during sleep. We work with an interdisciplinary team of dentists, oral surgeons, and sleep medicine doctors to help treat patients.

In adults, expanders are less effective, so other treatments may be needed. In rare cases, orthodontic surgery is an option. We can also create sleep appliances as CPAP alternatives, though they may shift teeth and are used sparingly. We also work with myofunctional therapists, speech therapists, ENTs, and pediatric dentists to evaluate these issues in children.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea.

Sleep apnea patients often don’t realize they have sleep apnea because it happens—as the name would imply—while they’re asleep. But there are some signs you can look for while you’re awake, or ask your partner if they’re noticing these issues when you sleep.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include:

  • Snoring
  • Moments when you stop breathing during the night, then gasp for air
  • Waking up with a dry mouth
  • Waking up with a sore throat
  • Experiencing headaches in the morning
  • Problems staying asleep
  • Daytime fatigue, even after a full night’s sleep

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts while you’re asleep. Most cases of sleep apnea are caused by obstructions or malformations in the airway, such as enlarged adenoids, a deviated septum, tongue ties, tooth and jaw misalignment, and issues with the dental arch.

How do we screen Sleep Apnea?

After listening to your list of symptoms, our office uses CBCT imaging to provide you with an airway evaluation. If an expander looks like the right course of action, we can handle that in-house. If your sleep apnea needs treatment that we can’t do in-house, we’ll be happy to refer you to an ENT or myofunctional therapist who can help.

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