Dental Sleep Medicine is the Key to a Better Night’s Rest

For patients dealing with sleep apnea in McKinney, dental sleep medicine offers an effective treatment option for dealing with sleep-disordered breathing, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

At McKinney Smiles, Dr. Lawrence offers patients a variety of sleep apnea in McKinney treatment options that don’t include the use of CPAP. Dr. Lawrence understands that many of his patients want to avoid the use of the hoses and facemask that patients who use a CPAP must endure on a nightly basis. Fortunately, patients have alternative options for treating sleep-disordered breathing, such as VIVOS.

By treating upper airway, sleep and breathing issues using innovative treatment options like VIVOS, dentists like Dr. Lawrence can significantly improve their patient’s overall health, both indirectly and directly.

For patients with OSA, the airway collapses during sleep as the body relaxes. This collapse prevents the brain from receiving enough oxygen, which is an obvious problem. To correct the issue, the brain shocks the body out of sleep, causing patients to wake up briefly during the night. Unfortunately, once back asleep, the process repeats itself, possibly dozens of times an hour.

During sleep, controlling the upper airway and preventing it from collapsing is the key to preventing OSA and other sleep-disordered breathing problems. Patients with OSA may experience an increase in inflammation throughout the body. As a result, OSA ranks as a major predisposing factor for a variety of systemic diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and obesity.

Let’s take a closer look at a few of the most common issues caused by sleep-disordered breathing issues and how the treatments provided by Dr. Lawrence can help.

Diabetes

Diabetes has a long and complicated history with patients’ oral health. Studies have found that patients who experience tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss have a significantly higher risk for developing diabetes. Additionally, the association between diabetes and OSA has also been well established in studies as well.

Researchers are now aware that some inflammatory responses caused by severe gum disease can lead to hyperglycemia, which can then contribute to the development of pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.

Since gum disease and diabetes share similar risk factors, gum disease treatment has been shown to help regulate pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes in patients by improving their overall glycemic control.

By receiving treatment for OSA from Dr. Lawrence, patients can also reduce their risk for diabetes. As the connection between OSA and diabetes becomes better understood, treatment options like VIVIOS, which works to naturally open the body’s airway, could prove incredibly beneficial to a patient’s long-term health.

Improved Sleep

Poor sleep promotes inflammation in the body while also suppressing the immune system. For adults, cognitive decline and dementia have both been linked to impaired sleep and aging. Some preliminary research even suggests that an association between OSA and gum disease exists since systemic inflammation and stress are both linked to sleeping less at night.

As anyone who’s struggled to maintain their productivity after getting too little sleep the night before can attest, the right amount of rest is key to meeting your daily personal and professional goals. Waking up repeatedly at night, whether you remember or not, prevents your body from achieving the deep REM sleep you need to feel fully rested and ready to go the next day.

By using VIVOS to open your airway and correct any sleep-disordered breathing problems you may be experiencing, you can achieve the type of quality sleep you need to function at your best.

Hypertension

Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, is a life threatening condition that studies have linked to OSA. Individuals who fail to control their blood pressure have a higher risk for heart failure, heart attack, aneurysm, and dementia when compared to those with blood pressure in a normal range.

A lack of sleep puts an incredible amount of repeated stress on the body. Having to shock the body out of sleep to reopen the airway places undue strain on your heart. When combining all of the negative symptoms associated with OSA, it’s easy to understand how so many health problems can be linked to sleep-disordered breathing issues.

Dental sleep medicine treatment options like VIVIOS offer patients dealing with sleep apnea in McKinney an effective option for reducing their risk for hypertension and other systemic diseases that can seriously threaten their quality of life.

Schedule Your Sleep Medicine Consultation Today

Don’t wait any longer to get the quality night’s rest you deserve. Contact our team at McKinney Smiles today to receive your dental sleep medicine consultation with Dr. Lawrence.