Obstructive Sleep Apnea

You may joke with your partner about how loud you (or they) snore, but loud snoring is no laughing matter. This is because habitual snorers are at a serious risk for health problems such as diabetes, stroke, and heart complications, in addition to obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when something partly, or completely, blocks your upper-airway during sleep. Our doctors at Bear Creek Dental can treat this problem.

Obstructive sleep apnea is more common in people who are overweight, but it can affect anyone. When obstructive sleep apnea occurs, our doctors at Vista Dental may suggest a Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) procedure as a last resort. UPPP is a procedure used to remove excess tissue in the throat to widen the airway. This sometimes can allow air to move through the throat more easily when you breathe, reducing snoring.

If you have questions or concerns regarding sleep apnea management and treatment, please give us a call. To learn more about services we provide here at the practice, visit www.bearcreekdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors in Grand Prairie AB, call 1-780-539-0404.

Sleep Apnea and Car Crashes

You probably knew that it was a bad idea to drive while tired. But did you know that you may have a problem your dentist can help with? Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OAS) is a common problem that is associated with everything from night time teeth grinding to heart disease, and a new study establishes a connection between OAS and car crashes.

OAS occurs when peoples’ throat tissues sag into their airways in their sleep. It can cause people to wake up, but it can also cause them to snore or get pulled out of deep sleep, leaving them feeling tired without knowing why. This is dangerous because the study found that once people are sleep deprived, they have difficulty determining their level of impairment. This is despite the fact that people with moderate sleep apnea are 13% likelier to crash their cars and people with severe sleep apnea are 123% likelier to do so.

We at Bear Creek Dental in Grande Prairie make custom-fitted night guards to help keep patients’ airways open during sleep. This protects their teeth from grinding, but it also helps them get better rest generally.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit Bear Creek Dental.

 

Sleep Apnea and TMJ Connection

Did you know that headaches and snoring could be related? Did you know your dentist could help with both problems? The doctors of Bear Creek Dental in Grande Prairie have experience treating a variety of oral health problems. One of their skills is fabricating custom-fitted night guards to protect patients from sleep apnea and bruxism.

Obstructive sleep apnea is what happens when a person’s airways become clogged when they lie down. This is what causes snoring. In an attempt to keep the airways open, the body moves the jaw around, which puts pressure on the teeth and jaw joint. The joint which connects the lower jaw to the skull is technically called the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and it’s one of the most complex in the body. When it is under strain, people can suffer symptoms ranging from headaches and ringing in their ears to shoulder pain and difficulty opening their mouths. They are also likely to suffer pain in their teeth, which are being worn down and, in the worst cases, might crack.

A custom fitted night guard helps solves all these problems by keeping the teeth of the upper and lower jaw from coming into contact with each other at night. The airways are less likely to be obstructed, removing the need to move the jaw, and the teeth aren’t being directly worn down.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit Bear Creek Dental.

 

Dangers of Snoring

Loud snoring may be comical for some, but it is dangerous for most. Snoring happens when the flow of air from the mouth or nose to your lungs makes the tissues of the airway vibrate. When this happens, the person isn’t taking in enough oxygen for the body to sleep quietly. Snoring can result in daytime sleepiness, frequent headaches, or worse, sleep apnea. Fortunately, our doctors at Bear Creek Dental can treat the problem.  

Snoring is often a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea can result in disruption of sleep because a person tends to take pauses in breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increased health risks such as high blood pressure, stroke, or even death. If you or your partner snore during the night, it’s important to receive a proper diagnosis because doing so can save a life.

If you have questions or concerns regarding sleep apnea, please give us a call. To learn more about dental health as well as services we provide here at the practice, visit www.bearcreekdental.ca for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors in Grand Prairie AB, call 1-780-539-0404.

Night Guards

At Bear Creek Dental, we help our patients with every aspect of their oral care, including teeth grinding. Also known as bruxism, this behavior is commonly the result of sleep apnea and can cause headaches and neck aches, as well as tooth damage. CPAP machines are the most commonly employed means of combatting sleep apnea, but they may not defend against bruxism, for which patients need an oral appliance known as a night guard.

Like the mouth guard used to protect athletes, a night guard is custom-made from an impression of the patient’s mouth. The durable material resists grinding better than enamel. But a night guard also provides the wearer with more restful sleep by keeping the jaws in a forward position. Sleep apnea is often the result of patients’ airways getting closed off during sleep, and teeth grinding is sometimes a result of the body attempting to open airways by changing jaw position. The forward position maintained by night guards is the optimal one for airflow, removing a cause of bruxism as well as preventing damage.

Tough though they are, night guards still need to be protected during the day by being kept in a hard plastic container. They and the container also need to be cleaned and dried on a daily basis.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.