Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are both breathing disorders that occur during sleep due to narrowing or total closure of the airway. Snoring is a noise created by the partial closure of the airway and may often be no more problematic than the noise itself. However, consistent, loud, heavy snoring has been linked to medical disorders such as high blood pressure. Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition; the airway totally closes many times during the night and can significantly reduce oxygen levels in the body and disrupt sleep. This could even be present in the occasional snorer. In varying degrees, this can result in excessive daytime sleepiness, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, reflux, depression, occasionally heart attack and stroke.
Oral appliances may be helpful in the treatment of snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome and sleep apnea. Oral appliances are designed to assist breathing by keeping the jaw and tongue forward, thereby opening the airway space in the throat. While documented evidence exists that oral appliances have substantially reduced snoring and sleep apnea for many people, there are no guarantees this therapy will be successful for every individual. Several factors contribute to the snoring/apnea condition including nasal obstruction, narrow airway space in the throat and excess weight. Because each person is different and presents with unique circumstances, oral appliances will not reduce snoring and/or apnea for everyone. Post testing will be done to assure effective treatment.
