Sleep Apnea Appliances West Kelowna

What are the warning signs of sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a relatively common disorder that is characterized as pauses in your breathing. It can also be classified as shallow, superficial breaths while you sleep. The pauses in your breathing can last from a couple of seconds to a few minutes. As an example, during an hour of sleep, you can stop breathing anywhere from 5 to 30 times or more! Then when you start up your breathing again, it can start with a loud snort or a choking sound, although some people can be silent.

Sleep apnea is an ongoing, perpetual condition, that takes a serious toll on the quality of your sleep. When you suffer from sleep apnea, you constantly switch from deep sleep to light sleep, resulting in an overall poor rest, leaving you tired and weary during the next morning.

Often times, you don’t even know you have sleep apnea

Sleep apnea generally goes undetected and undiagnosed because a lot of doctors don’t uncover the condition during regular office visits. Most people that suffer from sleep apnea aren’t aware they suffer from it. A lot of times the first ones to become aware of your situation is a family member, spouse or bed partner.

The most common type of sleep apnea is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea. This is when your airway has collapsed or is restricted and this ensuing blockage causes shallow breathing or breathing pauses. When you try to breathe, any air that gets past the blockage can cause loud snoring (which is why a bed partner generally detects the problem first).

The reduced airflow and strained breathing put a lot of stress and strain on your heart. When you don’t get enough sleep in general, it can harm your heart. Cardiovascular disease, strokes, heart attacks and in critical cases even death, have all been connected to lack of sleep. Additionally, chronic sleep loss prevents your body’s ability to perform even basic metabolic functions, including regulating your hormones.

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Introducing, MicrO2

If you visit your family doctor, chances are they will prescribe a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine for sleep apnea treatment. While they do work, the problem is a lot of people find it uncomfortable to use and they don’t end up using it. In fact, only about 25% of people can fully adapt to CPAP use, therefore the majority of people continue to suffer from sleep apnea and its potential life-threatening consequences.

Dr. Shauna Palmer has found oral appliance therapy can be an alternative and successful and simple sleep apnea treatment for her patients. In case-by-case treatments, Dr. Palmer fits you with a physiologically designed appliance, which would be comparable to a mouth guard or one used to treat TMJ jaw problems.

This appliance re-positions your jaw and tongue to a more forward position, helping keep your airway open during sleep. Since Dr. Palmer uses a physiologic technique to determine this position, it is more effective, it stops grinding of teeth, it is easy to adapt to, and it prevents and reduces more common side effects of traditional sleep apnea devices like TMJ pain and bite changes for example.

A physiologic position is where the muscles, jaw joints, and teeth are positioned in a relaxed and harmonious way. This is accomplished with the help of an ultra-low frequency TENS device to relax the jaw, neck, and airway muscles. We also use computerized jaw tracking and electromyography which aids in fine-tuning the physiologic position needed to build the sleep apnea appliance. Oral appliance therapy is also an effective treatment for snoring.

Using the MicrO2 device has its advantages:

it’s light in weight
there’s no tongue space invasion
there are no metal parts to adjust or weaken the appliance

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What patients say about Kelowna Sleep Apnea Dentist Dr. Shauna Palmer

[These are actual Google Reviews]

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Wake up refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to face the day

Most people wouldn’t think to ask their dentist about their sleep problem. But the most common sleep disruption is snoring and sleep apnea, both of which are completely treatable by a sleep-trained dentist. A sleep apnea focused dentist like Dr. Palmer, can help you reduce and even eliminate your sleep problems altogether with a sleep apnea treatment. When your airways are restricted and your breathing is affected, a lot of times this is directly related to the position of your jaw and it can be alleviated with physiologic orthotics and sleep appliances.

Since sleep apnea is a medical condition and a dental sleep apnea device is considered a medical device, Dr. Palmer works in conjunction with your family physician, sleep physician, or medical specialist to ensure your overall health is being addressed. For dental sleep apnea devices a referral from your medical physician is required. Also, we can help you navigate your insurance coverage for this device if it is a covered procedure.

Face tomorrow invigorated and recharged by finally getting a good night sleep tonight.

Call our West Kelowna dental clinic today and find out exactly what you are dealing with and what your sleep apnea treatment is best for you.

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Why choose Dr. Shauna Palmer?

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Stop treating symptoms only, treat the causes
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Health & Beauty Dentistry

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when the upper airway becomes blocked while you’re sleeping. The less common type, central sleep apnea, occurs when your brain can’t send signals for your body to breathe.

What are signs that your partner might have sleep apnea?

Many people who have sleep apnea aren’t aware that they have it. Sometimes it’s their partner who first notices their symptoms.
Your partner may have sleep apnea if he or she experiences or has any of the following:

Frequent stoppages of breathing during sleep

Loud chronic snoring that frequently interferes with their partner’s sleep

Excessive daytime sleepiness

Gasping for air during sleep

Waking up frequently at night to urinate

Waking up with a dry mouth or headache

Experiencing changes in mood or ability to concentrate and pay attention

Having a decreased libido

Thick and short, or long and thin neck size

Obesity

Why can sleep apnea be dangerous?

Sleep apnea can be serious because of the body’s sleep deprivation and being deprived of oxygen. In addition, sleep apnea can raise his or her risk of developing the following chronic health issues:

Asthma

Atrial fibrillation

Certain types of cancers

Chronic kidney disease

Cardiovascular disease

Type 2 diabetes

Pregnancy complications

Treat Sleep Apnea Naturally: Why a Natural, Holistic Approach Is Best

Why should you be concerned about how to treat sleep apnea naturally? It’s because your health is involved.

Sleep apnea isn’t just about snoring. It isn’t just about the symptoms you put up with when you don’t get enough restful sleep because you aren’t sleeping soundly each night.

Obstructive sleep apnea can kill. Not only can patients with this condition completely stop breathing – they can end up with a higher risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and more.

Getting enough air into your lungs each night is definitely one of the goals all healthcare professionals have for you, including the team at your West Kelowna dentist office.

However, I want to make sure that what you’re doing to treat your sleep apnea is going to target the root cause of the issue, not simply cover up the symptoms.

Are You Ready to Try a New Approach to Treating Your Sleep Apnea?

If you’ve tried the traditional approach to treating sleep apnea and it hasn’t worked – you have options! When you visit my West Kelowna dentist office, my team and I will find the best option for your needs. I’ll do a thorough examination to determine what’s really contributing to your sleep apnea symptoms and determine the best way to treat the situation.

Stop trying to use a machine that’s not working. Let’s work together to find the best physiologic solution to your sleep apnea so you can start getting a great night’s sleep as soon as possible.

Are you interested in learning more about my holistic approach to sleep apnea? Contact my office today and schedule a consultation to discuss your questions, needs, and concerns.