What is Sleep Apnea?

Columbia Sleep Apnea Dentist

Sleep apnea is a condition when someone stops breathing frequently throughout the night. Your throat and surrounding muscles relax during sleep, closing your airway, and making it difficult to breathe.  Your body will fight to keep this airway open, resulting in a poor, restless night’s sleep. Someone who has sleep apnea can stop breathing hundreds of times during the night.  Breathing is essential to life; we need to breathe to take in oxygen. When you aren’t breathing in enough oxygen, your body increases its heart rate to increase oxygen supply to your organs. This increased heart rate leads to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.  Sleep apnea has been shown to shorten one’s lifespan. Because of this, it is important to treat your sleep apnea effectively.  At Columbia Smile Center, we treat sleep apnea with a dental mouthpiece that opens the airway, allowing patient to sleep soundly.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Treatment of Sleep Apnea
Dangers of Sleep Apnea
Children’s Sleep Apnea
Healthy Sleep Habits
Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

Contact our office to schedule an appointment with our sleep apnea dentist today.