Atlanta Orthodontic Specialists Treatments

SLEEP APNEA

Sleep Apnea Treatments in Atlanta

Keeping the whole family up with loud snoring? Waking up gasping for breath in the middle of the night? You may have sleep apnea – a potentially dangerous sleep disorder that makes you stop breathing for erratic episodes while sleeping.

Atlanta Orthodontic Specialists can help. When caught early in children and teens, anatomical obstructions that cause sleep apnea can be corrected for a lifetime of restful sleep. But don’t worry though if you’re over 18. There are plenty of treatments to help you get a good night’s sleep, too.

Orthodontic treatments for sleep apnea

For our sleep apnea patients, we often recommend expanders. The roof of the mouth (the part of the anatomy that is widened by expanders) is also the floor of the nasal passage. Widening the roof of the mouth with expanders therefore increases the size of the nasal passage – creating extra space for air to flow through. This can help reduce the collapse of the airways common to sleep apnea. Expanders are most often effective at treating sleep apnea in children. For adults, other sleep apnea treatments may be necessary.

On rare occasions, orthodontic surgery is an option to treat sleep apnea. We also occasionally create sleep appliances that can serve as a CPAP substitute. Unfortunately, these have the potential to move the teeth out of alignment and are therefore not recommended often.

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 we diagnose 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, of course. If your sleep apnea needs treatment that we can’t do in house, we’ll be happy to refer you to a ENT or myofunctional therapist that can help.

Symptoms of sleep apnea:

Sleep apnea patients often don’t realize they have sleep apnea because it happens, well, while they’re asleep. But there are some signs you can look for while you’re awake or ask your partner about. If you have sleep apnea, you’ve likely been keeping them wide awake while you’re getting your Zzz’s.

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

Looking for a sleep apnea solution?

The sleep apnea specialists at Atlanta Orthodontic Specialists are here to help. From in-house treatments to outside referrals, we’ll help you control your sleep apnea and finally get the good night’s sleep you’ve been waiting for. Contact us to schedule your appointment today.