Who Do I See About Excessive Snoring?


Who Do I See About Excessive Snoring?

By Wright Smiles

Do you have a partner who snores a lot, and loudly? Maybe you’ve been told you are the one with the snoring problem. Snoring every night, to the point a partner cannot sleep is not a pleasant situation, and it can be a sign of a larger issue, such as sleep apnea. The next step: figuring out just who is a snore-specialist, to consult about this problem. It might surprise you to know that your family dentist in Southlake, TX can diagnose many snoring issues.

Occasional Snoring or Sleep Apnea Snoring?

Many of us snore on occasion. Maybe it’s allergy season, and a nose is stopped up. An extra drink on a special occasion might relax the throat muscles, and snoring is the result. If you’ve put on weight, that can affect the amount and weight of skin around the neck and throat, causing snoring to be more frequent. Consistent, ongoing snoring can be a serious issue. Your dentist can help you determine if you have snoring related to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. OSA snoring tends to happen consistently, be very loud, and be accompanied by gasps, snorts and perhaps thrashing or body movements.

What Can Be Done About OSA?

Snoring can sometimes be moderated or alleviated with the help of a dental appliance.  If your snoring is determined to be related to the collapse of throat tissues due to OSA, your dentist will custom fit a special mouthguard, to be worn at night. This mouthguard will hold the jaw and throat in a comfortable and correct position to allow air to pass quietly and freely with each breath.

What If It’s Something More Serious?

Sleep apnea can have causes other than the collapse of throat tissue. Central Sleep Apnea is caused by mixed or improper signals between the brain and the muscles that control breathing. Wearing a sleep apnea appliance is not likely to solve central sleep apnea issues, but your dentist can refer you to a sleep study facility, or other sleep experts, who can dig deeper into neurological causes of sleep apnea.

Bring Your Sleep and Snoring Questions to Any Office Visit

Nightly loud snoring, accompanied by other sounds, is not a normal sleep habit. Your dentist can help you diagnose and address the issue.  Gregory Wright, DDS  and Dr. Victoria Heron are happily accepting new patients from Southlake, Grapevine, Keller, Trophy Club, Colleyville, and all surrounding communities. To learn more, call our office today at (817) 481-7999.