• Common Dental Problems
  • Why Do Teeth Darken?
  • Advanced Hygiene and Periotherapy
    • Velscope Oral Cancer Screening
• Cosmetic Dentistry
  • Choosing a cosmetic dentist
  • What is the LVI Difference?
  • Characteristics of Award Winning Smiles
• Cosmetic Procedures/
  Treatments
  • Smile Makeover
    • Questions About Smile Makeover
  • Porcelain Veneers
    • Question About Porcelain Veneers
  • Full Mouth Restoration
    • Questions About Full Mouth Restoration
  • Tooth Whitening
    • Teeth Whitening Questions
  • Dental Implants
    • Questions About Dental Implants
    • Implants for Supporting Bridges
    • Advantages of Dental Implants
  • Tooth Crowns
  • Dental Bonding
  • Tooth-colored fillings
  • Porcelain fillings
  • Gum Recontouring
  • Invisalign®
• General Dentistry
  • Dental Bridges
  • Dentures / Partials
  • Periodontics
  • A Look Back at Dentistry's History
• Neuromuscular Dentistry
  • Questions About Neuromuscular Dentistry
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Why See a Neuromuscular Dentist?
• TMJ / TMD
  • Causes of TMD/TMJ Associated Headaches
• Metal-Free Dental Practice
• Sedation Dentistry
  • Types of Dental Anesthesia

Sleep Apnea

Morristown, New Jersey, and the surrounding area

Sleep apnea is a condition of impaired sleep. A person’s breathing repeatedly stops during sleep so that they wake up gasping for air. Most sleep apnea sufferers are not aware of having this condition. The most frequent type of sleep apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), where the airway is blocked by collapsing throat tissue.

If you know that you snore frequently, and if you tend to feel lethargic during the day, you could have OSA, and it would be well worth your while to be checked for it. When it is left untreated, OSA can cause other health problems, some of which are serious:

• Increased risk of stroke and cardiac problems
• High blood pressure
• Increased risk for diabetes

OSA causes the brain to chronically suffer from insufficient oxygen. That is why you feel slow-moving and forgetful during the day and may perform poorly at work. It can also cause chronic headaches and depression after a while.

Who is at Risk for Sleep Apnea?

Over half of OSA patients are obese. Extra tissue around the throat can more easily collapse and block it during sleep. Other risk factors are:

• Aging – about one in ten people over 65 have sleep apnea
• Family history of sleep apnea
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Gender – about one in 25 men in mid-life have sleep apnea, whereas only one in 50 middle-aged women have it
• Racial background – sleep apnea is more likely if you are Hispanic, African-American or from the Pacific Islands

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Aesthetic Dentistry of Bernardsville now offers sleep apnea treatment. The goal of treatment is to restore your regular breathing during sleep, thus relieving daytime fatigue and loud snoring.

Our dentists can give you a thorough dental examination and fit your with an oral appliance. You would wear this at night to keep your airway open. Because it would be custom-made for you, it would be comfortable. There are two ways these dental appliances can work:

• By holding the tongue forward; or
• By holding the lower jaw forward.

Most hold the jaw forward, preventing the throat tissue from falling back into the airway. This gives you a good night’s sleep so that you wake feeling refreshed and alert.

If you have been feeling fatigued during the day and wonder whether you have sleep apnea, please contact our sleep apnea dentists today to schedule a complimentary consultation. We serve the areas of Morristown, New Jersey and we look forward to meeting with you soon.