Snoring

Snoring affects a significant portion of the world’s population, with over 40 percent of people experiencing it. Even if you don’t snore, sleeping next to a snorer can disrupt your sleep. Despite being seen as a minor annoyance, snoring can have severe long-term health consequences, including life-threatening risks.

In this month’s themed newsletter, we aim to increase awareness about snoring, the health risks associated with it, and the available treatments. Snoring occurs when air cannot flow easily through the mouth or nose due to several factors such as alcohol consumption, excess body fat, pregnancy hormones, low muscle tone, nasal congestion, structural differences in the airway, and dental issues.

Dental factors that contribute to snoring include missing teeth, misaligned jaw, teeth grinding, crowded teeth, wisdom teeth, and overly relaxed throat muscles or enlarged tissue. Loud or frequent snoring may indicate a serious disorder called sleep apnea and can lead to various health problems such as decreased blood oxygen levels, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Fortunately, changes to lifestyle, diet, and daily activities may prevent snoring. At Smile Hub Dental Clinic, we offer mandibular repositioning devices and tongue-retaining devices that can keep your airway open while you sleep by repositioning your lower jaw and pushing the tongue forward. Both of these devices can help prevent snoring and improve your quality of sleep.

It’s important to note that if your snoring is caused by a more serious underlying condition such as sleep apnea, seeking medical advice and treatment is crucial. In severe cases, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine may be recommended to deliver pressurised air through a mask to keep your airway open.

In addition to medical interventions, there are also some lifestyle changes that may help alleviate snoring. These include losing weight, avoiding alcohol and sedatives before bed, sleeping on your side, and practicing good sleep hygiene such as establishing a regular sleep schedule and creating a comfortable sleep environment.

At Smile Hub Dental Clinic, we understand the importance of a good night’s sleep and are committed to helping our patients achieve it. If you or a loved one is struggling with snoring, don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about our solutions and how we can help.