Tired of snoring?
Tired of snoring?
A serious issue with serious effects.
What is snoring?
Snoring is the noise caused by partial closure of the airway due to the relaxation of the soft tissue in the upper throat.
Certain factors increase the chances of snoring; physiology, gender, age, weight and lifestyle. Factors that lead to increased soft tissue around the neck contribute, as do factors that cause additional relaxation of muscles, such as drinking alcohol or the use of sleeping tablets.
What is obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)?
In extreme cases, partial closure of the airways can result in a drop in oxygen reaching the lungs. Equally, individuals can stop breathing all together, with the sleeper starting to breath again with a gasp, choke or snort. This is indicative of OSA, where our body is starved of oxygen for a short period of time. The body typically responds by a partial awakening due to an adrenaline surge, leaving sufferers often exhausted during the day.
The effects of snoring & OSA
Snoring and sleep apnoea can have an immense impact on the sufferer, their partner and their family:
- daytime sleepiness
- lack of energy
- motivational issues
- driving whilst tired
- high stress levels
- poor effectiveness
OSA is also shown to contribute to more serious health
issues:
- increased risk of mental health concerns
- increased blood pressure/hypertension
- increased risk of diabetes heightened chance of cardiovascular disease
- daytime sleepiness
- lack of energy motivational issues
- driving whilst tired
- high stress levels
- poor effectiveness
The patient care pathway
Your dentist is able to offer a comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and follow up care service which should initiate with a snoring assessment - using clinically recommended measures to best understand you and your concerns.
The assessment will highlight if OSA is a factor that needs further investigation.
If this is the case, your dentist will refer you to your GP who may suggest a sleep study to accurately measure OSA. In addition, treatment should be offered - lifestyle choices need to be considered and a mandibular advancement splint (MAS) is suggested.
A sleep study is the only way to diagnose and determine the severity of OSA. It does this by measuring:
- oxygen levels
- air flow
- pulse rate
- body position
- breathing effort
- movement
Mandibular advancement splints (MAS)
Working to prevent closure of the airway by holding the lower jaw in a stable position, your dentist will likely recommend a MAS for snoring, and mild to moderate OSA. For many, a MAS can have a life-changing impact.
The most clinically-proven MAS for the treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnoea is the SleepwellTM, available from a network of trained dentists that understand the symptoms and are equipped to assess, diagnose and refer on if OSA is suspected.
Our gold standard treatment is the most clinically-proven splint for snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea.
Fit & comfort
Tailor-made within our laboratory by our trained technicians the Sleepwell is atwo-piece appliance that has a soft inner liner to provide ultimate comfort.
Sleepwell is self-adjusting to optimise effectiveness.
Clinical Effectiveness
Sleepwell is the most clinically-proven mandibular advancement splint (Barnes et al., 2004)on the market. A life changing treatment Sleepwell helps stop snoring and assists with mild to moderate sleep apnoea. Talk to our dentist about how Sleepwell can help you.
Let us help help you.
Telephone: 01372 272357