Sleep apnea can be mild; however, sometimes, it can impact your health, causing issues such as dry mouth, type 2 diabetes, and exhaustion. As the consequences of this condition can be quite serious or even life-threatening, those who suffer from it should see a sleep apnea dentist in Las Vegas as soon as possible. This is especially important for those who tend to snore loudly. A lot of those who have sleep apnea are not aware that they have this condition until they have to visit a doctor for a health condition related to sleep apnea. Dentists who specialize in this condition offer different treatments that include snoring therapy.
What to Know About Sleep Apnea
If you have sleep apnea, your breathing during sleep gets interrupted by your tongue or jaw. This condition causes you to wake up because of a lack of oxygen, leading to loud snoring or choking. But you may not recognize the symptoms by yourself because you mistake the condition as just exhaustion. If you have sleep apnea, you can experience jaw tension or headaches.
Impact of Sleep Apnea on Your Oral Health
Sleep apnea can lead to the following oral health problems:
- Teeth grinding. As your body counteracts the tongue or soft palate relaxation that causes obstruction, you may grind your teeth or grip your jaw. Although this can relieve some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, it can wear down your teeth and cause issues such as cavities and decay.
- Dry mouth. If you suffer from sleep apnea, you may sleep with your mouth open, causing a dry mouth. This can result in increased plaque, gum disease, cavities, tooth decay, and mouth sores. Your dentist can treat such conditions with regular cleanings, antibiotics, and fillings; however, the only way to stop these conditions from recurring is to address the main cause of the issue.
- TMJ disorders. Your temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, connects your jaw to your skull. If you have sleep apnea, you can suffer from a TMJ disorder that leads to a clenched jaw. The disorder can cause headaches, teeth grinding, and jaw aches.
Risk Factors
Anyone can suffer from sleep apnea, but it commonly impacts older men. But those who are over 40, people who smoke, have experienced a recent stroke, have congestive heart failure, are overweight, have chronic nasal congestion, and are consuming alcohol regularly, have an increased risk of sleep apnea.
