Sleep Apnea Kensington better rest starts here

Millions of Australians experience snoring during sleep. While some are what we call “simple snorers,” many suffer from a more serious sleep disorder known as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).

Research suggests that in the United States alone, around one in four men and one in ten women are affected by this condition, and similar rates are seen in Australia.

What is Sleep Apnoea?

Sleep apnoea occurs when the airway becomes partially or completely blocked during sleep, causing interrupted breathing and reduced oxygen flow. This can lead to fatigue, headaches, poor concentration and even long term health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

At Tooth Heaven, we can help assess whether your snoring may be linked to sleep apnoea in Kensington and guide you towards effective treatment options. Our team works closely with medical professionals to identify the cause and develop tailored solutions that help you breathe easier and sleep better.

Understanding the causes and differences between snoring and sleep apnoea is the first step toward improving your quality of sleep and overall health. If snoring is affecting your rest or your relationship, book an assessment with Tooth Heaven today and take the first step toward a quieter, healthier night’s sleep.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) and Snoring?

Snoring is the result of tissues in the throat relaxing enough that they partially block the airway and vibrate, producing a sound. Depending on the individuals's anatomy and other lifestyle factors (alcohol consumption, body weight etc), the sound of the vibration can be louder or softer.

Loud frequent snoring is a symptom of sleep apnoea, which is a chronic condition presenting it self by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep.

This can occur from several times to more than 30X in an hour in more severe cases. When people with sleep apnoea fall asleep, they can stop breathing for a few seconds to more than a minute. Both conditions are made worse with other pre-existing conditions in the mouth, obesity, aging, lifestyle factors and physical attributes.

Risk factors for sleep apnoea

Depending on the severity and how much it impacts on your quality of life and affects your day to day activities, nobody should underestimate the health risks.

Not just a noisy nuisance, snoring and sleep apnoea can have serious helth ramifications such as:

• Affects sleep quality
• Decrease in Quality of LIfe and of the bed partners too
• OSA triggers release of stress hormones, change how body uses energy and makes you feel tired and sleep throughout the day
• Decrease in vigilance, cognitive abilities
• Affects mental Health
• Increased risk of car accidents
• With reduced sleep, other undesirable side effects are weight gain, memory loss, skin aging and more
• There is also evidence that OSA leads to greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, cancers and even sudden death
• Increased risk of neurological complications like dementia, seizures and epilepsy
• Increased complications to anesthesia (leading to more post op respiratory depression)

As you can see, snoring or OSA is of no laughing matter and can have serious consequences.

Sleep apnoea symptoms

If you're not getting a good night's sleep, you may have sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea can manifest through various symptoms, and these may vary in severity. Common signs and symptoms of sleep apnoea include:

• Loud snoring: Regular and loud snoring is a hallmark symptom, especially in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
• Pauses in breathing: Witnessed interruptions in breathing during sleep, often reported by a sleep partner.
• Choking or gasping: Sudden awakenings accompanied by choking or gasping for breath.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness: Feeling excessively tired or fatigued during the day, even after a full night's sleep.
• Difficulty concentrating: Impaired concentration and difficulty staying alert during daily activities.
• Morning headaches: Waking up with frequent headaches, which may be a result of oxygen deprivation during sleep.
• Irritability: Increased irritability, mood swings, and a general change in mood.
• Difficulty sleeping: Insomnia or difficulty maintaining a continuous sleep pattern.
• Frequent urination: Needing to go to the bathroom frequently during the night.
• Dry mouth or sore throat: Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat can be indicative of breathing through the mouth during sleep.

Sleep apnoea treatments

While both snoring and Sleep Apnoea are different, general treatments may cross-over between the two. However, with more severe sleep apnoea sufferers, special treatments may be necessary to address this.

Some general recommendations are:

• Weight loss
• Cessation of Smoking
• Decrease in alcohol consumption
• Changing sleep positions
• Oral Devices
• Some nasal strips

In some cases of severe sleep apnoea the following may be recommended:

CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Is essentially a blower connected to a tube that feeds a mask that goes over the mouth and the nose, blowing air at a certain pressure consistently to maintain an open airway. The constant pressure keeps the airway from collapsing alowing normal breathing.

Although CPAP has proven to be really effective, most people experience some difficulty using a CPAP machine. There are however other options for those that find it difficult to adjust to wearing and using CPAP, like the mandibular advancement splint (MAS)

Mandibular Advancement Splints (MAS)

These are devices that fit over the teeth on both arches and help position the lower jaw more forward to open up the airway.

In a 2013 study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the researchers summarized that "MAS was overall equivalent to CPAP. However the MAS was superior to CPAP in 4 of 8 Quality of Life measurements"

This is obvious because there is no loud machine to carry around, no mask to put on to sleep at night and actually works! *

OSA can also impact your health when left untreated. This health condition can lower the flow of oxygen to your organs and cause uneven heart rhythms. If you suffer from these symptoms, speak with your General Medical Practitioner.

What to expect from your sleep apnoea appointment

If your doctor has recommended seeing a dentist for a sleep mouthguard, here’s what you can expect from the process:

• Your dentist will perform an examination, and may take x-rays to assess your mouth and oral health
• Your dentist will take impressions of your teeth using a soft clay-like material that you will bite into
• These impressions will be sent to a lab that will make your custom sleep mouthguard
• It will take 2-3 weeks for the lab to make your sleep mouthguard and send it to your dentist
• You will return to your dentist to pick up the splint and ensure it fits well
• Your dentist will advise you on proper wear and care
• Be sure to bring your sleep mouthguard to your future dental check-ups so they can check how well it is wearing