Chronic snoring and periodic breathing interruption are hallmark signs of a sleep apnea problem. While this might prove to be annoying and inconvenient for your spouse and other family members, chronic sleep apnea can lead to significant health complications that extend beyond a poor night’s rest. If you do not have your sleep apnea addressed by our orthodontists, Dr. Christopher Liang, sleep apnea can start to tax your heart muscle. This can lead to problems with high blood pressure as well as an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Having the severity of your sleep apnea professionally diagnosed by a physician is an important first step in developing an effective treatment plan. If a sleep study or other evaluation reveals that you have mild to moderate sleep apnea, you might find some relief with an appliance provided by a orthodontists like Dr. Christopher Liang. The specific design of the appliance that they recommends for you will be based on your personal preference as well as other factors involving your oral structure.
A tongue stabilizing device may work well for people who wear complete sets of dentures. This style of the removable oral appliance doesn’t need to attach to the teeth in any way. A mandibular advancement device typically attaches to the teeth and might also incorporate some other hardware.
If you live in the Washington, DC, region and you need an appliance to address your sleep apnea symptoms, you can call 202-966-7711 to schedule an appointment at Liang Orthodontics.