Snoring & Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Snoring

I'm sure just about everyone is somewhat familiar with snoring. You probably know at least one person who snores. It could be your bed partner, your parents or grandparents who may snore at various sound levels.

Snoring is the sound that the soft tissues in your mouth and throat make as air passes through them, causing them to vibrate. When you’re awake, the muscles surrounding these structures keep the air passage open. But when you’re asleep, these same muscles relax, allowing your lower jaw and tongue to drop back and partially block the opening of your airway. More force is needed to push air through the obstructed airway, which means that once it passes through, the air is moving very fast. The high speed of the air causes the surrounding soft tissues to vibrate, and the sound of those vibrating tissues is what’s typically called snoring.

Not everyone snores when their muscles relax during sleep. Many factors affect why people snore, including

excess bodyweight
drug and alcohol use
congestion
swollen tonsils
aging

Heavy snoring and delayed breathing of 10 seconds or more may be caused by a more serious condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

When loud snoring is interrupted by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing, it is known as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. This is a far more serious condition. Serious episodes last more than ten seconds each and occur more than seven times per hour. Apnoea patients may experience 30 to 300 such events per night. These episodes can reduce blood oxygen levels, causing the heart to pump harder.

The immediate effect of sleep apnoea is that the snorer must sleep lightly and keep his muscles tense in order to keep airflow to the lungs. Because the snorer does not get a good rest, he may be sleepy during the day, which impairs job performance and makes him a hazardous driver or equipment operator. After many years with this disorder, elevated blood pressure and heart enlargement may occur.

Steps to Minimise Snoring

Losing weight
Avoiding large meals right before bedtime
Avoiding strenuous exercise within 2 or 3 hours of bedtime
Avoiding alcohol or sleeping pills within 4 hours of bedtime
Avoid caffeine, nicotine or other stimulants within 4 hours of bedtime

How We Can Help

If the cause of you snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea is dental related (as diagnosed by a respiratory physician or a ENT specialist) then here at Smile Concepts, we treat the conditions using the SomnoMed MAS, which is a custom-made oral appliance consisting of upper and lower dental plates with a unique patented "fin" coupling mechanism. This device provides incremental jaw advancements to the necessary degree to alleviate Snoring and reduce Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

The SomnoMed MAS:

Permits full range of mouth opening/closing and complete jaw closure
Minimises disruption to normal oral functions like speech, drinking and yawning
Minimises impingement on the oral airway and the tongue space
Enables the wearer to open the mouth, yet have the jaw remain forward at all times.

For additional information including published research about SomnoMed MAS, please visit www.somnomed.com.au

If you would like more information on this subject, please contact Smile Concepts directly by clicking here or ringing 02 9267 7777