Not getting a good night's sleep? Your dentist may be able to help!

Good sleeping habits are essential to good health. For many people though, achieving quality sleep can be difficult. If you or your sleeping partner is affected by snoring your health may actually be suffering. Although the sound of snoring can be irritating and make it difficult for you or your partner to sleep, snoring is actually a result of airway passage narrowing. Snoring is caused by the vibration of the hard and soft tissue of the palate, which creates a "flapping" sound when air moves through narrowed airways.

As we age and/or gain weight, this airway narrowing can worsen, causing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is linked to the increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, impotence, behavior and cognitive problems, and even death.

Snoring and OSA can be treated with dental appliances that help to open the airway allowing proper flow and resulting in better sleep. The Academy of Sleep Medicine affirms that that the treatment of OSA with dental devices is scientifically sound. Diagnosis for OSA and Snore Appliances should only be done by dentists who have had proper training in this area.

For more information on how to have an OSA/ Snoring assessment done, visit www.dentalmakeovers.com