At Hyde Park Dental Care we treat snoring and sleep disorders with oral appliance therapy. Your night time habits could actually be affecting you or your partner more than you realise! Dr Brian Joffe understands the link between dental health and the body, and is able to treat a variety of sleep disorders so you can rest easy. Do you snore? It could be a sign of a more serious issue… Over 40% of Australians suffer from snoring and this can cause disturbed sleep for you and your loved ones. Snoring occurs when the muscles of the airway relax too much during sleep and vibrate (creating noise) when air passes in and out of the airway. If not treated this can lead to other sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea. So, it is important to get in touch to consult sleep dentistry today. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a serious sleep disorder that can cause a variety of issues… Sufferers of sleep apnoea experience disturbed sleep caused by obstruction to their airway during sleep. This lack of airflow is caused by collapsed tissue at the back of the throat blocking the airway to the lungs and a person temporarily stops breathing. These pauses are called apnoea’s and typically last 20-30 seconds. This results in a reduction of oxygen supplied to organs such as the heart and brain. There is also an increase in the levels of carbon dioxide which causes the body to wake itself up momentarily – a process which can occur hundreds of times a night and cause the patient to feel lethargic and tired upon waking the next day. Sleep apnoea can lead to serious diseases such as: High blood pressure Stroke Heart attack Congestive heart failure Alzheimer’s disease Workplace and driving accidents Diabetes Depression People who are at risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea include: increasing age (most common in ages 50-70 years) more common in males than females post menopausal women diabetes sufferers smokers alcohol or sedative users obese patients patients with underdeveloped or malaligned jaws The following are signs or symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: intermittent snoring morning headaches gasping or choking during sleep – observed apnoea attack excessive daytime sleepiness (increasing the risk of motor vehicle accidents) Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GORD) night sweating poor memory high blood pressure irritability depression weight gain grinding and/or clenching of teeth frequent bathroom breaks during sleep If you notice any of the above symptoms, contact our sleep dentistry specialist. He/she will identify the symptoms and treat this disease with oral appliance therapy. Oral Appliance Therapy An oral appliance is a custom designed device that is worn like a sports mouthguard during sleep and prevents the collapse of the tongue and soft tissues at the back of the throat. This method keeps the airway open and promotes adequate air intake. Oral appliance therapy can be used to treat both snoring and sleep disorders. Dr Joffe will discuss this with you at the time of your consultation should you require this treatment. Take our sleep apnoea questionnaire today