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Sleep Disorders – OSA / UARS & TMD

SLEEP, ANXIETY & BREATH ARE THE HOLY TRINITY.
IMBALANCES IN ANY ONE CAN DEEPLY IMPACT ONE’S WELLBEING.

What are Sleep Disorders?

Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB) is an Umbrella term for a constellation of sleep related breathing disorders and abnormalities of breathing during sleep that do not meet criteria for a disorder. Sleep disorders can also be grouped according to behaviors, problems with your natural sleep-wake cycles, breathing problems, difficulty sleeping or how sleepy you feel during the day. Some common types of breathing-related sleep disorders include:

Mouth Breathing

Snoring

Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Daytime Sleepiness

Sleep Disordered Breathing & TMD:

Sleep Disordered Breathing is a common cause of TMD. These disorders usually stem from Incorrect breathing habits, which give rise to muscular dysfunction and postural imbalances which in turn worsen the sleep disorders. And so the vicious cycle continues. In some cases restricted (tongue tie) or low tongue posture may cause the tongue to sit on the floor of the mouth rather than the optimal roof position that causes the upper jaw to become narrow.

This throws the orofacial system off-balance and narrows the airway. The narrowing of the upper jaw naturally pushes the lower jaw back and further compromises the airway. To compensate one begins clenching and grinding their teeth (sleep bruxism) which causes muscular dysfunction and articular disk displacement, causing TMD. This can also present itself in symptoms like anxiety, poor sleep, fatigue and a multitude of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

MOUTH BREATHINGNOISY BREATHINGSNORINGSLEEP APNEA

Mouth breathing is one of the most common and early signs of sleep disordered breathing which may eventually progress to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is life threatening condition seen in both children and adults that is characterised by the cessation of breath which may be due to partial or complete obstruction of the respiratory tract.

Mouth Breathing can be cured through Oral Myofunctional Therapy. An exercise program used to establish nasal breathing and correct posture by repatterning the head, face, tongue and neck muscles.

ASSESS YOUR BREATHING & SLEEP

1) You can use a mirror and place it below the nostrils and you will see fogging from the area you are breathing.

2)Take a piece of paper tape and apply it to the mouth so you are forced to breathe through the nose for a minimum of 3 minutes. Mouth breather get uneasy.

3)Instill a camera and a video of your sleep can be assessed or ask someone to check on you as you sleep.

4)You can take a Home Sleep Study or an In-Lab Sleep Study.

Fix Your Breathing

What is a Sleep Study and Different Types of Sleep Studies?

A sleep study is a comprehensive, non-invasive sleep test used to diagnose sleep disorders like Sleep Apnea and UARS. A sleep study test allows the doctor to monitor your sleep while recording brain waves, heart rate, breathing, snoring, and oxygen level in your blood during the cycles of REM and nonREM stages of sleep. The data collected from the test is then analysed by a sleep specialist, which helps determine if you have sleep apnea or any other type of sleep disorder.

Two popular types of sleep studies are:

1) In-lab sleep study (Polysomnography): In a sleep lab, you are provided with a private bedroom for an overnight stay. A sleep technician will then place sensors on your scalp, chest and legs. A small clip is also attached to your finger to monitor the oxygen level in your blood. The sensors attached to your body are connected to a computer, which allows the sleep technician to monitor different activities throughout the night, including:

Brain and muscle activity

Leg and eye movements

Respiratory airflow: breathing lapses and snoring

Body positioning and movements

Blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm

2) At-home sleep test: For an at-home sleep test, the doctor will provide you with a portable sleep and breathing monitoring device like a WatchPAT. On the night of the test, make sure you follow your regular bedtime routine and follow the instructions provided by the doctor on how to attach the monitoring sensors accurately.

In the morning, remove the sensors when you wake and return the testing equipment to the doctor’s office. The doctor will then set up a follow-up visit with you to discuss the test results.

The at-home sleep test kit usually has:

A nasal cannula – to measure oxygen and airflow

A finger clip – to measure oxygen and heart rate

Special sensors – to monitor your breathing patterns

SYMPTOMS OF SLEEP DISORDERS, SLEEP APNEA & TMD

Fatigue

Daytime sleepiness

Difficulty waking up in the morning

Poor performance in school, on the job, or in sports

Increased clumsiness

Falling asleep during work or class

Risk of serious accidents and injuries

Poor Concentration

Anxiety

Energy levels

Ability to retain information

Irritability and Moodiness

Headaches

Loss of Libido

Tiredness even after waking up

Long term consequences of chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of health problems including high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality.

Our Comprehensive Treatment Approach

A collective and multidisciplinary holistic expertise will be the key to address conditions related to Sleep Disordered Breathing, Sleep Apnea, TMD and overall wellness. Oral Myofunctional Therapy, Airway Orthodontics, Breath Retraining, Correction of Tongue Function & Mobility and Orthotics (TMJ splints) can help to achieve nasal breathing, stabilise the TMJ, improve the position and function of tongue, expand the upper jaw and advance the lower jaw which helps to open up the airway. This in turn will correct the Sleep disordered breathing, Sleep Apnea and TMJ.

Sleep Appliances:

One of the most popular sleep appliances, The Silensor is used to treat patients with mild sleep apnea and snoring. This dental device helps reposition the lower jaw during sleep through a controlled range of forwarding movements providing optimal comfort and delivering the best treatment results.

Sleep Appliances - The Silensor

Resembling a custom-fitted mouth-guard, Dorsal Sleep Appliance helps keep the airway open & protected and is generally used to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. It is designed to be worn every night and can be made from different materials such as acrylic or dual laminate.

Dorsal Sleep Appliance

This is the only low-profile continuous advancement oral appliance therapy medical device for Obstructive Sleep Apnea that ensure more flex and is optimised for greater tongue space. This lightweight device offers precision adjustability, is easy to use, ensures less protrusion, and is highly effective.

PROSOMNUS [CA] LP CONTINUOUS ADVANCEMENT SLEEP DEVICE

This sleep appliance is used to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea and snoring. It is the first Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) device to utilise advance technology, robotics, artificial intelligence and medical grade materials to create a highly engineered dental sleep appliance that is small & comfortable, easy to use, flexible, hygienic and BPA free.

PROSOMNUS [CA] LP CONTINUOUS ADVANCEMENT SLEEP DEVICE
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