FAQ - Resources | Dental solutions for the whole family | Your Total Dental & Orthodontics, TX

FAQ – Resources

What is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
OSA is a chronic condition that happens when your muscles relax during sleep, allowing soft tissue to collapse and block the airway. This can cause you to stop breathing hundreds of times per night for anywhere from seconds to minutes. Repeated breathing pauses may result in reduced oxygen levels and disturbances in sleep.
What are the common signs and risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
OSA may be more common in men, but it can also occur in women. Having excess body weight, a narrow airway, or misaligned jaw can increase the risk of OSA. Snoring, choking sounds while sleeping, intermittent snoring with pauses, excessive daytime sleepiness, awakenings with gasping, poor memory, irritability, and morning headaches may be signs of OSA. Schedule a visit with your physician to discuss these symptoms.
What is the sleep cycle and why is it important?
Sleep is a physical and mental resting state where a person becomes relatively inactive and unaware of the environment. Sleep is characterized by two distinct states: Non-REM sleep and REM sleep. These alternate in 90 to 110 minute cycles. Normal sleep pattern has 4-5 sleep cycles throughout the night. Sleep has been determined to be biologically necessary for life due to the healing and repair that occurs.
How do I know if I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
After discussing your symptoms, your physician or a board-certified sleep medicine physician will complete a sleep evaluation and may schedule an overnight sleep study at a sleep facility or a home sleep apnea test. The physician will interpret the data from your sleep study to make a diagnosis.
What is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
After discussing your symptoms, your physician or a board-certified sleep medicine physician will complete a sleep evaluation and may schedule an overnight sleep study at a sleep facility or a home sleep apnea test. The physician will interpret the data from your sleep study to make a diagnosis.
Some signs to look for when evaluating a potential patient with OSA.
  1. Snoring
  2. Brux
  3. G.E.R.D
  4. Scalloped tongue
  5. Enlarged tonsils
  6. Large neck
  7. Mallampati classification
How is snoring distinguished from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
Snoring is a major symptom of OSA, so all cases of snoring should be evaluated by a physician to determine whether or not you have OSA.
Is treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) important?

Treating OSA is critical. When left untreated, OSA can cause excessive daytime fatigue, morning headaches, and memory loss. In addition, studies suggest that untreated OSA increases the risk of numerous health issues, such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

What are the benefits of oral appliance therapy over other treatment methods?

Oral appliance therapy is an effective, non-invasive treatment that fits easily into your lifestyle. Oral appliances are comfortable, quiet, portable, easy to wear, convenient for travel and easy to care for. More than that, oral appliances do not restrict movements while sleeping, work with any patient sleeping positions, can be used for patients that are CPAP intolerant, do not require electricity, and require no consumable parts to replace.

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