Can dentistry help sleep apnea?

August 2023

Sleep apnea is a condition that can go unnoticed, undetected, and even ignored by over 80% of the people who suffer from it. Undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea isn't just an annoying snoring habit—it can lead to severe health problems. If you or someone you love is suffering from sleep apnea and are not interested in being chained to a CPAP machine for the rest of your life, there are other ways to get treatment and live a healthy life. Keep reading to learn more about sleep apnea and how dentistry can help treat it.

What is sleep apnea?

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, sleep apnea is a common condition in which your breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep. This can prevent your body from getting enough oxygen. You may want to talk to your healthcare provider about sleep apnea if someone tells you that you snore or gasp during sleep, or if you experience other symptoms of poor-quality sleep, such as excessive daytime sleepiness.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include:

Signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders include:

Loud snoring
Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person
Gasping for air during sleep
Awakening with a dry mouth
Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
Difficulty paying attention while awake
Morning headache
Irritability

Sleep apnea and dentistry

When most people think about sleep apnea treatment, they imagine a CPAP machine. Luckily, there are other more effective and less invasive ways to treat sleep apnea, including dentistry.

At Raio Dental, we offer many methods of helping your sleep apnea symptoms. One of them includes The Vivos System. It works to enlarge and readjust a compromised airway so that you can breathe more easily while sleeping. The Vivos System is a non-evasive, virtually pain-free approach. In addition, we offer the Fotona Laser System, which allows patients to experience a “no needle, no drill” treatment experience for certain procedures.

Fotona's NightLase therapy is a special treatment that enhances the quality of a patient's sleep affected by snoring. NightLase therapy reduces the effects of sleep apnea by altering soft tissue. The Fotona Laser System has revolutionized the field of dentistry by providing treatments that are quicker and more efficient with highly predictable outcomes.

Sleep apnea help with raio dental

If you are looking for relief from your sleep apnea symptoms and are ready to take the next step, we are here for you.

Located in Medford, New York, Dr. Raio is an Airway Health Specialist and Restorative Dentist. He has over 25 years of clinical experience and is a strong advocate of ongoing education and remains on the cutting edge of the most advanced treatments available for the treatment of his patients. The clinic offers a wide range of services such as general services, specialty services, and sleep dentistry.