Having sleep apnea can be difficult, but chances are it's no walk in the park for your partner either. Sleep apnea can result in extremely loud snoring that can endanger your health and also keep your partner up all night.
While CPAP machines can make things easier for you by opening up your airway and preventing you from losing oxygen while you sleep, chances are it's still not great for your partner. CPAP machines can be very loud and can disturb sleep for your significant other, even if you can sleep through it. Here's what you can do to make it easier for both of you.
Going Without Isn't an Option
It's important to point out that simply shutting off your CPAP machine and not using it is not an option without an adequate replacement. Doing so could lead to you not having enough oxygen during your sleep and that would be a far worse thing to deal with than a little noise while you're sleeping. Even so, that doesn't mean that your partner has to suffer needlessly. For now, leave the CPAP machine on when you sleep and continue on to the next steps.
Alternative Solutions
The good thing is, there's a sleep apnea solution that generates zero noise. Believe it or not, it's your dentist's office that has the solution that you need.
Dentists can create something called a sleep apnea appliance that's designed to help keep your airway open. A CPAP machine uses air pressure to blast through the collapsed airway and to keep it open while you sleep. In comparison, the dental appliance keeps it from closing in the first place.
It's able to do this because it gently pulls your lower jaw forward a little bit as you sleep. This puts tension on your airway and keeps it from fully collapsing. The result is, you can get the protective effects that you need without disturbing your sleep or your partner's.
What to Expect
Getting a sleep apnea appliance made is no big deal. You'll probably need to visit your dentist's office multiple times as they'll want to coordinate with your general practitioner to get your medical records. Once this is achieved and your dentist is sure that they can help you, they'll bring you in to start the fabrication process. For you, this will mean taking a mold of your teeth. This is because the appliance is designed to snugly fit over your upper and lower teeth, kind of like a retainer or invisible braces.
Once the mold is taken, your dentist will order your custom-made sleep apnea appliance. Then you'll be brought back in one more time for fitting. If it fits comfortably, you'll be able to use it right away when you go to sleep that night.
Talk to a dentist like Jerry C Hu DDS Family Dentistry LLC to learn more.
Share4 October 2019
Do you have "bad teeth"? I do. Ever since I was a kid, every checkup turns up a number of issues ranging from cavities to dental fractures. It has always been frustrating to keep my smile in decent shape, which is one of the reasons I started focusing on understanding different dental problems. I wanted to know what I was getting into when I visited the doctor, so I began focusing on learning as much as I could. I wanted to create this blog all about dentistry so that other people could find out what to expect when they head to the dentist. Check it out!