DOES YOUR SPOUSE stop breathing in their sleep? Do they suddenly wake up gasping for air? If so, he or she may have sleep apnea and need a polysomnogram sleep study for sleep apnea treatment.
What Is A Polysomnogram?
The polysomnogram is a test which is diagnostic for sleep apnea. It is an overnight recording which documents how many times a person stops breathing and the duration of these episodes. Depending on the number and duration of non-breathing episodes, the patient is given a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Has Many Causes
One cause for a patient’s sleep apnea may be a small lower jaw. If so, your orthodontist can help cure sleep apnea by lower jaw advancement completed with surgery. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.
Your dentist may be able to temporarily help your sleep apnea by creating a mandibular advancement device, a removable appliance which moves your lower jaw more forward during sleep. Oral appliances to advance the lower jaw can be effective, but only in patients with mild forms of sleep apnea, which must be established by polysomnography in a sleep laboratory and assessment by a qualified sleep apnea physician. Worn long term, five years or longer, removable sleep apnea appliances may produce permanent changes in your teeth and bite.
Sleep apnea may also be caused by extra body weight, soft tissue, or tongue position. In these cases, a CPAP machine can help by pushing air into your airway and soft tissues under a light pressure to help prevent sleep apnea episodes from occurring. This can help both you and your spouse can get a good night’s sleep.
We Can Help With Your Sleep Apnea Needs
If you have questions about sleep apnea, CPAP, or the ploysomnogram diagnostic test for sleep apnea, call us at Gorczyca Orthodontics, in Antioch, California (925) 757-9000. We can refer you for polysomnogram testing and get you the sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment you need.
You will feel better and perfom better after a good night’s sleep. Get your sleep apnea treatment today. You’ve never dreamed you could sleep so well.
