Sleeping with a Snorer?
(or are you the one keeping everyone up??)
Wikipedia defines snoring as "the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping."
Okay, but all you care about is getting a good night's sleep. Besides annoying your sleeping partner, snoring can affect your ability to concentrate and focus during the day, and it can result in a decreased libido! Worst of all, studies show that there is a correlation between snoring and increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and brain damage.
Some snorers require treatment with a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine while they sleep but often a less invasive oral appliance can be made for you, which may result in a better night's sleep for everyone. The appliance moves the jaw forward, thereby pulling the tongue forward and allowing greater space for the passage of air. Patients have commented that these appliances are far more comfortable than CPAP machines that require wearing a mask while you sleep.
So, you have a snoring problem and want to do something about it...now what?
Call our office for an initial consultation ($60 fee). Dr. Dodds will meet with you to discuss the severity of your problem and suggest possible treatments.This may include a referral for a sleep study through the Regina General Hospital (wait times can be prohibitive unfortunately). If he thinks an oral appliance will help alleviate your snoring, impressions are taken of your teeth and they are sent away to a lab. They create the appliance and we deliver it to you with any instructions you may need. A 3 week follow-up appointment is made so we can make any adjustments or suggestions for further success. The approximate cost of the total treatment, start to finish, is $1000.
Dr. Dodds has years of experience in treatment of TMD (temporomandibular disorder) which may be associated with snoring. He is a member of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain and the International Association of Orthodontics. For more information about snoring and oral appliances go to www.somnomed.com or www.snoringisntsexy.com .
