Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) are breathing disorders, which occur during sleep, due to the narrowing or total closure of the airway. For many people, treatment may be as simple as wearing a custom designed splint when sleeping.
What causes obstructive sleep apnoea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a serious sleep-related breathing disorder. In a person with OSA, the tongue and muscles of the upper airway relax to a point where they collapse and the airways become obstructed during sleep. This blocking of the airways can cause brief breathing arrests – sometimes up to 600 episodes of arrested breathing may occur in a single night. The brain responds by sending out arousal signals to prevent the sleeper from suffocating. The sleeper, who is typically unaware of these signals, gasps for air and starts breathing again. In the process, loud snoring noises are often produced. The consequence of this recurrent arousal is non-restorative sleep and health problems related to this condition. In the morning, the patients wake up feeling unrefreshed and run down. They often suffer from daytime sleepiness and lack of concentration, which may cause them to fall into the dreaded microsleep while driving. Loud snoring may be an important sign that a person is suffering from a serious form of obstructive sleep apnoea. Untreated sleep apnoea can increase the chance of having high blood pressure, a heart attack or a stroke. Problems with sexual function and diabetes may also be associated with sleep apnoea.
Snoring
Snoring is a noise created by the partial blocking of the airway. When you fall asleep your muscles relax, including those that control the tongue and throat. The soft tissue at the back of your throat can sag, narrowing the airway. Incoming air then makes the tissue at the rear roof of the mouth (the soft palate), the flap of skin hanging from the palate (uvula) and the throat vibrate – a sound we know as snoring.
Snoring is often no greater problem than the noise itself. However, loud snoring may be a sign of a more serious problem – OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnoea).
The SomnoDent® oral sleep appliance
The SomnoDent oral sleep appliance is a custom-made mandibular advancement splint (MAS) that treats mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea by preventing breathing lapses during sleep. The device consists of an upper and lower dental plate with a unique patented fin-coupling component, which allows normal mouth opening and closing.
The splint moves the lower jaw slightly forward. This forward movement tightens the soft tissues and muscles of the upper airway, which prevents obstruction of the airway while you sleep. This tightening also prevents the tissues of the upper airway from vibrating as air passes over them – the most common cause of loud snoring.
The design of the SomnoDent oral sleep appliance offers significant advantages. The splint is comfortable to wear and provides effective treatment. The device allows you to get a good night’s sleep, feel rested in the morning and be full of energy all day.
For the majority of patients, the SomnoDent oral sleep appliance presents a highly attractive solution for the treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnoea, particularly if CPAP does not agree with them. It’s exceptional level of patient acceptance and satisfaction as well as treatment efficacy are backed by a large body of clinical trials and research results.