Ever wake up exhausted, feeling like you’ve been in an all-night wrestling match with your pillow? You might be dealing with sleep apnea, a condition that stops your breathing temporarily while you’re sleeping. (Or you might be sleeping next to someone with untreated sleep apnea and are exhausted from listening to them snore loudly and struggle to breathe all night! In that case, you might want to send this blog to them.)
Sleep apnea can seriously harm your overall quality of life and health, so getting it treated is really important (see Why Should You Care About Improving Your Sleep Apnea? below). There are many routes for treatment, including orthodontic work. If you’re wondering, “How can orthodontic treatment help with sleep apnea?” keep reading to find out!
What’s Breathing Got To Do With Orthodontics?
There are three main culprits: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea syndrome, a combination of OSA and central sleep apnea. OSA, the type we can treat, is the most common form and occurs when your upper airway becomes blocked or too narrow. It affects about 39 MILLION people in the USA and roughly 936 MILLION people worldwide. So, if you’re feeling embarrassed or isolated about your sleep disorder, don’t! More people have it than you’d probably suspect.
OSA has many causes, including malocclusion, which is a fancy word for your jaw and/or teeth not correctly aligning. Malocclusion can lead to a narrower airway forming or restrict airflow during sleep by pushing the tongue or jaw on the air passageway. In both scenarios, it’s like trying to breathe through a squished straw—it requires a lot of effort and might even be impossible.
But never fear; orthodontics is here!
Ways Orthodontics Can Treat Sleep Apnea
Orthodontists like Dr. Grazina and Dr. Taylor can treat sleep apnea in a few ways, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Before you can get braces to help with your sleep apnea, you must first be diagnosed with sleep apnea! You can do this by seeing a sleep specialist, who might refer you to an orthodontist, or by conducting an at-home sleep study under the guidance of Facing the Future Orthodontics.
If you choose to start with option 2, don’t worry; we won’t follow you home and watch you sleep! First, we’ll coordinate you getting a sleep study or gathering other sleep data. Next, we’ll collect that data from you and send it to a sleep specialist for evaluation, who will then recommend some options. If your treatment plan involves orthodontics, we’ll begin doing our thing to help you breathe easier once the specialist green-lights it.
The treatment options
Of course, you might get our Damon self-ligating braces (metal braces without the braces colors) to straighten your teeth and improve bite issues like underbite and overbite. With these tools, and possibly some accessories like rubber bands, we can prevent unwanted pressure on the breathing passageway by stopping the jaw from pushing on it and making space for the tongue to sit comfortably in the mouth.
Sometimes, a palate expander is necessary to widen your upper jaw. Palate expanders can help us create space in the mouth for all your teeth and tongue to sit comfortably and functionally. By widening your upper jaw, they can also widen your air passageway to help you breathe better 24/7. Though it might sound scary, they work gradually and are not painful. At most, you might notice some discomfort.
Each treatment plan we create is 100% personalized to the patient it is for. That’s why we have so many treatment options! This flexibility in options allows Dr. Grazina and Dr. Taylor to treat a wide variety of OSA concerns and situations in children and adults.
Why Should You Care About Improving Your Sleep Apnea?
Both children and adults can experience many benefits from sleep apnea treatment, including:
- Improved Sleep Quality: Sleep deeper for longer! Breathing without issue can keep you from waking up throughout the night. With uninterrupted sleep, you’ll feel much more ready for the day, mentally and physically.
- Better Physical Health: Sleep apnea doesn’t just make you tired—it can also lead to serious health issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes in children and adults. We don’t have time to go into the how now, but it’s important for you to know that you can protect your or your child’s overall health by treating sleep apnea.
- Enhanced Quality of Life: When you’re well-rested, everything gets better. You’ll find it easier to concentrate, your mood will improve, and you’ll have more energy for daily activities. This goes for kids and adults alike!
- Confidence Boost: A beautiful, aligned smile can do wonders for the confidence of patients of all ages. With treatments like Invisalign and metal braces, you can achieve a straighter smile while tackling sleep apnea. Getting better sleep can also boost your confidence. When you’ve gotten enough good sleep and can concentrate, have an improved mood, and more energy, you’ll be able to perform your daily tasks better and think more clearly, reducing anxiety and stress.
- Prevention of Future Issues: For children, early orthodontic intervention can prevent the development of more severe sleep apnea and orthodontic problems down the road. Treating these issues early can lead to a lifetime of better health and fewer complications.
Kick Sleep Apnea To The Curb With Facing the Future Orthodontics!
We’re here to help you and your family breathe easier and sleep better with our personalized orthodontic treatments. From Damon braces and Invisalign to palate expanders and more, Dr. Grazina and Dr. Taylor have the expertise and tools to address your sleep apnea effectively.
Schedule your free consultation in East Hampton or Riverhead, NY, today! Our practice combines advanced orthodontic solutions with a fun, beachy vibe that’ll make your treatment experience as pleasant as a day at the beach. We can’t wait to help you achieve a brighter smile and a healthier life!
