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Dental Implants: A Guide for Seniors

If you are a senior considering dental implants, you may have to worry about issues other dental patients don't have to think about. For example, you may need more time to recover after receiving your implants. My name is Jodi, and I've been working with seniors for years. I decided to create this blog to help the seniors I can't meet in person. In this space, I'm going to post entries on everything related to dental implants and seniors. From tips on flossing implants after arthritis has claimed some of your dexterity, to guiding you through the implants-vs-dentures debate, this blog is designed for you. Thanks for reading. I hope you find what you need!

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Dental Implants: A Guide for Seniors

Snoring Interrupting Your Sleep? Your Dentist Can Help With That!

by Jimmy Carter

Are you tired of your partner giving you a hard time about the snoring you do while you are asleep? If your snoring is not accompanied by sleep apnoea, the problem is relatively harmless except for the fact you have to use more energy to breathe while asleep than others who don't snore. Being tired every morning is a nuisance though, and you may be surprised to know your dentist can help solve this problem. These are the facts you should know about seeking dental advice for a quieter sleep.

Rule Out Sleep Apnoea

Before tackling the problem of your snoring, you must first discuss the problem with your doctor. This is because of a condition called Sleep Apnoea which can accompany snoring. Sleep Apnoea causes you to stop breathing for up to 60 seconds at a time while you are sleeping, and this is a separate medical issue that must be treated by your physician.

Once sleep apnoea has been ruled out, then you can make an appointment to see your dentist.

What Can Your Dentist Do?

While the act of snoring has nothing to do with your teeth, it is caused by the muscles in your airway not working as they should. This causes vibrations which turn into sound as air moves over the side of the throat where the soft palate is located.

A dentist can take a custom mould of your mouth and have a device made that you will wear while you sleep. This device is called a mandibular advancement splint, and the point of this mouthpiece is it will keep your airway open while you are sleeping, When the airway muscles cannot collapse, the vibrations do not occur, and this means there is no sound resonating out of your mouth.

What Are The Advantages Of Wearing A Splint While Sleeping?

There are three main reasons why this mouthpiece should be the first step in tackling your snoring problem:

  1. A mandibular advancement splint does not involve corrective surgery, which is a more invasive option for treating snoring.
  2. This mouthpiece is easily portable, so if you go away on holiday for your end-of-year vacation, it is not going to take up any more room in your suitcase than your toothbrush.
  3. There is no mechanical equipment to get used to if you choose to use the splint. CPAP machines, which are sometimes used to help heavy snoring, involve wearing a nose mask during sleep and not everyone finds this easy to get used to.

When you have had enough of feeling tired in the morning, and being teased by your other half, have a chat with your 24 hour dentist about how they can make your sleeping time quiet once more.

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