Snoring Appliances in Penrith
Is your snoring keeping you or your partner up at night? There’s no need to put up with endless hours of snoring! The solution could be as simple as using a dental snoring appliance.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring, like all sounds, loud or quiet, is caused by vibrations in the respiratory structures. It occurs during sleep when the area at the back of the throat or in the nose relaxes and narrows. The air movement is then restricted in the air passage, resulting in the sound.
There are many reasons for snoring, some of which we can control:
- Being overweight and having excess fatty tissue around the neck
- Smoking causes inflammation of the airways and irritates the nasal passages
- Alcohol slows the brain’s responses, causing more relaxation than usual
- Medication, particularly antihistamines and sleeping pills, have the same effect as alcohol
Some causes are beyond our control:
- Allergies that cause swelling of the nasal passages, asthma, colds, and sinus infections
- Having a narrow throat, enlarged adenoids, or a cleft palate
- Ageing, as middle-aged men generally have a wider neck and more soft tissue, which causes vibration
The most serious type of snoring can stop breathing; this is called Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) and can be moderate to severe. In milder cases, the airways narrow greatly but do not close, resulting in very shallow, loud snoring. The more severe type of OSA is caused by a lack of muscle tone in the upper airway, causing it to close fully and one or more pauses in breathing. The body’s natural reaction causes breathing to resume with a gasp. It is a difficult condition to diagnose, and most people with sleep apnoea don’t know they have it, as it only happens during sleep. Your partner may be the first to notice the signs.
- Being overweight and having a lot of fatty tissue around the neck, although some people have sleep apnoea without being overweight.
- Enlarged tonsils, especially in children.
Once sleep apnoea is suspected, a sleep study will be carried out to confirm the diagnosis.
While there are many products on the market to help with snoring, your dentist can fabricate a custom-made device called a Mandibular Advancement Device. It works by holding your lower jaw and tongue forward, keeping your airway open while you sleep. Please speak to your dentist for further advice.
Get in Touch
Don’t let snoring disrupt your sleep any longer. Contact our experienced dental team at Smith Street Dental in Penrith today to discuss snoring appliance options.
