Snoring may not seem like a big deal to most people besides the annoying noise heard throughout the home, keeping everyone awake. It’s more than that. Snoring is the cardinal sign of sleep apnea, which is a loss of breathing and oxygen for 10-30 second episodes, occurring multiple times throughout the night. This happens due to a restricted airway to your lungs.
even knowing. And did you know that 3-5% of children also have sleep apnea and most pediatricians do not diagnose it?
As orthodontists, we may be the first doctors to communicate this issue with patients and parents. At Quest Orthodontics, we screen each and every patient, young or old, for sleep apnea. We do this by asking very specific questions about their sleeping habits. We can also view our patient’s airways three-dimensionally using our 3D CBCT X-ray unit. It has become an excellent tool for us to show patients exactly what the problem is,
dentally, facially, and especially dealing with the airway. There are multiple orthodontic treatment options that can help reduce sleep apnea such as
expanding the upper jaw, growth appliances for the lower jaw, and in severe cases jaw surgery. We also work with a team of sleep apnea specialists that can fabricate intraoral appliances for adults to help reduce sleep apnea. As dental professionals, it has fallen on our hands to help screen for this silent killer and refer for treatment to the right specialists.
If you would like to ask an Expert a question, please fill out the following FORM.
The advice that you are being given is meant to assist with a problem, but since all information about the individual, is not known, it should not be taken as a definitive response. You should consult your personal provider, with specific problems.
LIKE THIS ARTICLE: Sandy Springs Dunwoody Macaroni Kid is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Doraville, Atlanta, and Perimeter. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more. We proudly serve families in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Doraville, Atlanta, and Perimeter! Sandy Springs Dunwoody Macaroni Kid is full of useful local information like this PLUS tons of kid-friendly events on our event calendar. Have an event you'd like submitted to our calendar for consideration? Submit an event here. Like what you see here and want to get all the fun delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to our FREE weekly e-newsletter for 411 on the local family fun. You can find Sandy Springs Dunwoody Macaroni Kid on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
