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Things You Need To Know About Sleep Apnea

Many people may be familiar with the tiredness even after a full night’s rest. One of the major reasons for this tiredness is the sleep apnea. According to a survey, about 12 million Americans suffer from this problem. Sleep apnea is a problem associated with the stoppage of breathing while sleeping. As a result, your brain doesn’t get the oxygen it needs, resulting in the interruption during sleep. People suffering from this issue do not remember waking up during the sleep. This interrupted sleep leads to the tiredness during the day time.

Leaving the problem of sleep apnea untreated can lead to more serious health conditions including heart attack, diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure.

Three main types of sleep apnea

There are three types of sleep apnea.

The first type of sleep apnea is that obstructive sleep apnea. This condition is associated with the relaxed throat muscles which make it difficult to breath. This is the most common condition of sleep apnea.
The second type of sleep apnea is the central sleep apnea. This condition is caused by the inability of brain to send signals to the throat muscles.
The third type of sleep apnea is the complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome. This condition is the combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea.

How to know if you have sleep apnea

There are a few signs which can tell that you are suffering from sleep apnea.

Snoring in a loud voice
Cessation in breathing during sleep. This problem is noted by the other person.
Shortness of breath resulting in sudden awakening
Dry mouth and sore throat in the morning
Headache
Insomnia
Hypersomnia
Lack of concentration
Acid reflux
Irritability
Snorting sounds during sleep

Among many other symptoms of sleep apnea, loud snoring is the most common and infamous one. Snoring occurs when air flow through mouth or nose is physically restricted. But one thing which should be taken into consideration here is that not every person who snores has sleep apnea.

How can your dentist help?

Lifestyle changes can help in relieving the milder form of sleep apnea. For instance, you may need to lose weight and/or quit smoking. Treating nasal allergies is another way to treat sleep apnea. If you are unable to treat your sleep apnea with the help of these changes, you can visit the dentist to get the problem treated through following ways.

Oral appliance therapy: If you have a problem of obstructive sleep apnea, you can use this appliance. The main purpose of this appliance is to keep the jaws in right position. This way, the relaxed muscles do not cause stoppage to the air flow.
Snoring Prevention Device: the device used in this scenario is called Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD). It is a snoring prevention device which is designed to keep the lower jaw in forward position.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): This appliance is made to push air through a mask which is placed over your nose. Since this air pressure is great as compared to air in the surrounding, the throat area remains open. The use of this appliance may be uncomfortable at first but you will get comfortable with it.

Different Ways to Treat Chipped Teeth

Getting a tooth chipped or broken is nothing less than a scary dream coming true. It doesn’t only affect your smile but it can also lead to a number of other health complications. Good news is that there are some ways you can prevent and treat the chipped or broken teeth.

Read on to know about chipped teeth and the ways you can prevent and treat the chipped teeth.

How do the teeth get chipped?

The teeth can get chipped due to a number of different reasons. Eating hard foods, chewing on ice, and using teeth as tool to open up things are the top reasons for chipped teeth. Moreover, teeth can get chipped due to blows during impact sports.

Enamel is the hardest substance in the body. But even it, too, can get damaged and that’s where the chipping of tooth occurs.

Chipping/cracking symptoms

If the chip is on the front teeth, it is going to be visible to everyone. However, nobody will be able to tell if you have a chipped tooth if that chip is on one of the teeth which are on the back of your mouth. A few symptoms of chipped teeth are following.

It is most probably a chipped tooth if it feels rough, uneven or jagged when you run your tongue over it.
Irritated tongue due to its contact with the jagged surface of the tooth
Pain in the tooth when biting on any hard food item
Sudden sensitivity to hot and cold foods

Treatment of chipped or cracked tooth

Based on a number of factors, your dentist will decide which treatment is right for your chipped tooth or teeth. A few treatments are worth mentioning in this regard.

If the tooth fragment can be preserved, it is fully possible for it to be reattached with the tooth. In this scenario, the dentist will use a dental cement to attach the tooth.
If the chip is very small, the dentist may decide to reshape the tooth.
If the chip is big enough to cause the inner layer to be exposed, the dentist may choose to fill the tooth. This treatment is quite painless and it tends to secure your tooth for years to come.
A well-known treatment for the chipped teeth is dental bonding. This procedure is done with the help of composite resin. A small amount of tooth enamel is etched to make the tooth getting proper hold of the composite resin.
If the chip is too severe to raise a risk of dental infection, the dentist may recommend securing the tooth using dental crown.

These are just a few treatment options from a list of many options which you can consider to get your chipped tooth repaired.

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