Category: Snore and Sleep Dentistry

If you are not getting enough sleep, your health may be in jeopardy. Your body needs several hours of deep sleep each night to restore balance and make structural repairs. Without sufficient amounts of sleep, your health may begin to deteriorate, leaving you more prone to accidents and illnesses. 

One of the best ways to find out if you have a sleep disorder is to visit your dentist, Dr. Kosta Adams, at Adams Dental Associates in Sacramento, California. The problem may be found in your sinuses or in how your jaws are aligned.

Find out what is causing your poor sleep patterns

Dr. Kosta Adams and his team will perform a thorough examination that will provide the answers they need to make an accurate diagnosis when it comes to your sleep patterns. Snoring, for instance, is only a symptom associated with a much more significant problem. In some cases, it may be linked to conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, where you experience interruptions in breathing while sleeping. One episode can disrupt your sleep patterns, but most people experience multiple episodes per hour.

Explore advanced treatment options

While the most common treatment for sleep apnea involves the use of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, you do have other options. Depending on the diagnosis, we may recommend a customized dental appliance that you can wear while you sleep. The appliance looks like an athletic mouth guard and is designed to keep your jaws in alignment while sleeping. It is comfortable to wear and allows you to maintain an open airway throughout the night.

Get the sleep you need

With the right treatment option, you can get the sleep you need without being tethered to a CPAP machine. Dental appliances provide you with a comfortable alternative to more restrictive sleep apnea treatments. You will wake up refreshed and ready to take on any challenges you may face during the day.

Sleep disorders can have a negative effect on everything you do. At Adams Dental Associates in Sacramento, CA, Dr. Kosta Adams offers treatment options for sleep apnea that will help restore a good night’s rest. New patients can reach out to us at (916) 999-1302, and existing patients can dial  . The sooner you make the call, the sooner you will be able to get the sleep you need!

Do you sleep soundly at night? You can thank the “sleeping gods” because some people don’t have the luxury of a good night’s sleep. When you sleep, the muscles at the back of your mouth, tongue, and throat may relax enough that they vibrate, causing you to snore. As a result, you may continuously wake yourself or your partner at night, leading to poor sleeping patterns.

 

While you may not pay too much attention to snoring, sometimes it can be a symptom of a more severe condition called sleep apnea. Fortunately, at Adams Dental Associates, we offer effective treatments for sleep apnea and snoring.

 

Sleep apnea is more than snoring

Sleep apnea is a severe sleep disorder that results in disrupted breathing when sleeping. If you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the breathing muscles at the back of your mouth collapse and inhibit your breathing momentarily. You may not even notice it, but you can get hundreds of these episodes in one night!

 

On the other hand, if you have central sleep apnea (CSA), your brain fails to send the right signals to your breathing muscles, causing frequent stoppages in your breathing. If left untreated, sleep apnea may lead to a host of health complications, including:

• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Depression
• Type 2 diabetes

How we treat sleep apnea

Sleep apnea and snoring can deprive your body of much-needed sleep and rest. Luckily, Dr. Kosta Adams can alleviate those sleepless nights. While most medical practitioners administer CPAPs to treat sleep apnea and snoring, many patients find them bulky and uncomfortable.

With this in mind, we offer a dental device to curb your snoring and sleep apnea problems. Our custom-made oral appliance pushes your jaws and tongue forward, opening your airways when sleeping.

 

Sleep apnea and snoring solutions for residents in and around Sacramento, CA

Ready to win the battle against snoring and sleep apnea? If you are in Sacramento, CA, and the surrounding area, please dial (916) 999-1302 to book an appointment with Adams Dental Associates. Dr. Kosta Adams offers customized solutions to ensure you receive optimal sleep.

Many sleep studies will reveal that patients who are experiencing daytime tiredness and are not feeling rejuvenated in the morning may be suffering from a sleeping disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea often referred to as OSA, is a sleeping disorder that is a result of a blockage in the airways. This blockage can cause patients to be unable to breathe in and out at night, startling themselves awake. This process can happen hundreds of times in one night and result in the inability for patients to achieve the restorative level of sleep needed to feel their best the following day.

 

Obstructive sleep apnea can be troublesome for patients; however, proper diagnosis can help them get the appropriate treatment they need.
For many Sacramento area patients, a physician may suggest CPAP therapy. CPAP is a device worn by the patient while they sleep to keep the airways open with a stream of air. However, this device can be difficult to use and uncomfortable, therefore reducing compliance.

 

Instead, Drs. Kosta J. Adams and Kristen J. Adams of Sacramento may suggest patients consider oral appliance therapy. Oral appliance therapy uses a special mouthguard custom-made for patients and worn to hold down the tongue or reposition the jaw and open the airways for more comfortable, restful sleep. These appliances are comfortable and easy to use, often resulting in better compliance. They are also affordable.

 

In order to determine if patients have this condition, they need to speak to their physician about undergoing a sleep study. During the study, patients will be monitored while sleeping to see if they are having difficulty breathing several times a night. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea will often stop breathing hundreds of times in one night, making it difficult for them to feel well-rested the following day, and resulting in many symptoms such as daytime fatigue, poor memory, and concentration issues.

 

Drs. Kosta J. Adams and Kristen J. Adams believe in providing patients with a wide range of services in their dental practice and are excited to help obstructive sleep apnea patients and patients who suffer from chronic snoring to find peace and rest in their lives.

Every night, millions of Americans lose sleep to obstructive sleep apnea. Many of those people don’t even know they have the condition. Drs. Adams and their team are experienced in identifying and treating the condition.

Most people with obstructive sleep apnea do not think they have a serious condition, but rather simply think that they snore a lot. There is a major difference between snoring and sleep apnea. Patients with regular snoring are still breathing. When apneic events occur in someone with sleep apnea, breathing actually pauses. For many, this can occur hundreds of times during the night, resulting in very poor rest.

The standard treatment for sleep apnea has been a CPAP machine. The device forces air into the airway to keep it open. Patients are required to wear a mask while they sleep. The CPAP machine can be loud and uncomfortable, which makes compliance low. When used correctly, CPAP machines are very effective, however many patients have difficulty with them.

At our Sacramento office, we offer an alternative to CPAP. Oral appliance therapy can provide proven results without having to use a loud, uncomfortable machine. We’ve helped many people enjoy a proper night’s rest with these custom appliances.

Many patients have inquired about over-the-counter oral appliances that promise to relieve symptoms of sleep apnea. While the convenience of these devices can be tempting, they are one-size-fits-all and not specifically tailored to your individual oral structure. In most cases, over-the-counter devices do not deliver the same results as custom oral appliances.

If you think your lack of sleep goes beyond snoring, our team can determine if you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. We have years of experience in diagnosing and successfully treating the condition. Call our team at (916) 999-1302.

Chronic snoring is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a medical condition that has a serious impact on health. Snoring is also detrimental to a committed relationship. If you snore, Dr. Kosta Adams and Dr. Kristen in Sacramento, CA urge you to consider dental treatments to restore restful sleep and bedroom harmony.

 

Snoring and intimacy

Loud, persistent snoring is typical with OSA, and the condition has other sleep-disruptive characteristics. As you fall asleep, the tongue relaxes back toward the throat as soft tissues collapse. The airway is restricted, so breathing becomes shallow or is completely impeded for up to several minutes at a time. The brain senses dangerously low blood oxygen levels, sending a rush of adrenalin.

 

• You jerk, snort, or choke into wakefulness.
• Possibly get up to use the restroom.
• Reposition.
• The cycle repeats – potentially dozens of times each hour.

Obviously, OSA prevents you from reaching deep sleep phases necessary for hormonal balance, cellular regeneration, and alert daytime performance. Your partner suffers many of the same effects. He or she is likely to retreat to the furthest reach of the bed, sofa, or spare room. Over time this builds resentment and breaks down healthy intimacy.

According to Paul Rosenblatt’s book “Two in a Bed: The Social System of Couple Bed Sharing,” couples site sleeping in the same bed as extremely important to their relationship. The physical comfort and closeness extend to a few quiet moments to deal with daily issues and solve problems – a luxury with busy daytime schedules.

Non-CPAP sleep apnea and snoring treatments in Sacramento, CA

If you have tried CPAP without success or resisted seeing a doctor, it is important to know that there are other effective treatments for snoring and OSA. With specialized training in sleep dentistry, our dentists can prescribe oral appliance therapy. This comfortable, discreet device holds the airway open naturally. It is custom-fitted to depress the tongue, keep the mouth slightly open, and push the jaw a bit forward. Simply slip it into place before drifting off with your loved one by your side.

Call Adams Dental Associates at (916) 999-1302 to schedule a consultation.

Quality sleep is essential to health and vigor. Sleeping with a partner also plays an important role. Research indicates that physical closeness may be one of the reasons people in relationships enjoy better health and live longer. It can be difficult to snuggle, though, when your bed mate gurgles, grumbles, or roars like a tractor-trailer. Dr. Kosta Adams and Dr. Kristen Adams provide treatment that helps Sacramento, CA area couples overcome snoring.

 

More than a snore

Loud, chronic snoring can drive half of a couple to the sofa or spare room, and it may also be a sign of a serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea.

During an episode of sleep apnea, breathing becomes shallow or stops for up to several minutes. As blood oxygen levels plummet, the brain and body become deprived. A surge of adrenalin jolts you awake so that you gasp a few deep breaths, reposition, and start over. Obviously, this cycle (which may repeat dozens of times per hour), does not allow restful sleep for anyone in the room.

 

A patient with sleep-disordered breathing faces many possible health complications including:

 

• Acid reflux.
• Asthma.
• Bruxism and TMJ problems.
• Daytime drowsiness.
• Depression.
• Headaches and migraines.
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure.
• Increased risk of workplace and roadway accidents.
• Lack of mental focus.
• Obesity.
• Type 2 diabetes.

 

Snoring treatment rescues relationships in Sacramento, CA

Treatment for snoring and OSA has come a long way. At one time, surgery was a common consideration. Then CPAP became the go-to therapy, with a compressor providing a continuous flow of air, delivered through a face mask; then EPAP (expiratory positive airway pressure), a smaller breathing support device.

Today, you have an effective alternative for snoring and sleep apnea. This discreet device snaps over teeth with a customized fit. The splint keeps your tongue in place, positions the jaw slightly forward, and holds the mouth open just a bit. In many cases, it resolves to snore, and in severe cases of OSA, an oral appliance improves the effectiveness of CPAP.

Sleep peacefully and quietly – together – with snoring treatment from Adams Dental Associates in Sacramento, CA. Call (916) 999-1302 for an evaluation.

The National Sleep Foundation reports that 90 million people in this country snore. Dr. Kosta Adams and Dr. Kristen Adams take a light-hearted look at this common condition, then offer serious advice on snoring treatment for their patients in the Sacramento, CA area.

 

Pillow talk

Snoring is a sound created when the airway is partially blocked, causing the soft palate to vibrate. The uvula is a fleshy extension of the soft palate. It is intended to keep you from aspirating foods and beverages when upright, then drop out of the way when you sleep. However, nasal congestion, alcohol consumption, obesity, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids can reposition the uvula and trigger snoring.
Snoring has many nicknames, depending on where you live:

• Northeasterners “saw logs,” an appropriate term for our timber lot states.
• Southern snorers “cut gourds” or “call hogs.”
• If you “hit a knot” you are probably from New England, California, or Colorado.
• In the South Midlands from Ohio to Oklahoma, snorers “take two rows at a time” comparing the sound to a double amount of tilling equipment.
• If you plan to do some serious snoring in Massachusetts, you will be “raking up the coals.”
• Wisconsinites “grind gravel.”
• In honor of the noisily-boiled staple of Pennsylvania Dutch dishes, snorers in this region “cook turnips.”
• Across the country, you might hear a variation of “rattle the shingles.”

 

 

When to seek snoring treatment from Sacramento, CA dentists

These regional idioms are great fun, and occasional simple snoring is not generally a health threat. However, chronic, loud snoring can be an indication of a serious health concern called obstructive sleep apnea. OSA blocks the airway, resulting in shallow breathing or full cessation of respiration, potentially dozens of times per hour. OSA places tremendous strain on the cardiovascular system and interrupts sleep.

In many cases, snoring and OSA can be dramatically improved with a discreet oral appliance. This splint, about the size of an orthodontic retainer, holds the airway open by positioning the jaw slightly forward with teeth apart and tongue depressed.

Would you like to learn more about dental treatment for snoring? Call Adams Dental Associates in Sacramento, CA at (916) 999-1302.

Have you found that you toss and turn at night or wake up feeling unrested and exhausted? Perhaps your partner has pointed out your incessant snoring. While it may become a joke between the two of you, the fact is, excessive snoring is no laughing matter. All these symptoms could indicate that you have a sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious health condition that affects more than your overnight rest. It can also increase your risk for other serious health conditions. At Adams Dental Associates in Sacramento, CA, we offer dental snoring solutions to improve your health and overall quality of life.

Insomnia vs. Sleep Apnea

One of the first steps to improving your lifestyle is determining the cause of your symptoms. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that affects your ability to fall or stay asleep. Sleep apnea is a condition in which your airway becomes blocked and temporarily stops your breathing. While the two conditions are often linked, for the purpose of this article, we will be discussing treatment for sleep apnea.

During a sleep apnea episode, the soft tissue in the back of the mouth collapses, closing off the airway and rendering you temporarily unable to breathe. The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are:

• Snoring
• Gasping for air
• Feeling like you are choking
• Frequent waking, hundreds of times per night

 

Dental Snoring Solutions

If you were diagnosed with sleep apnea from your primary care physician, an ENT, or a sleep medicine physician, you may have been recommended CPAP therapy. CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure machines, are often the first course of treatment for sleep apnea. The machine can be bothersome and loud, causing a lot of patients to quit treatment.

As an alternative to CPAP machines, we offer oral appliance therapy. At Adams Dental Associates in Sacramento, we have found that many patients love the custom-made orthotic for the following reasons:

 

• Improved comfort
• Quiet
• Extremely effective
• Small and easy to travel with

 

Patients undergoing oral appliance therapy will first be fitted with a custom appliance that very closely resembles a sports mouthguard. The appliance is to be worn at night while you sleep to keep the jaw in a slightly forward position and prevent the soft tissue from blocking the airway. Patients who choose oral appliance therapy report feeling well-rested, easier breathing, and best of all – no more snoring!

The importance of treating sleep disorders

Sleep disorders can have a profoundly negative impact on health and quality of life. Luckily, there are treatment options that are comfortable and easy to use. Many patients are shocked to find that a simple appliance is all it takes to improve their rest and their partner’s.

If you live in the Sacramento, CA area and you have either been diagnosed with sleep apnea or you would like to consult with our team about your symptoms, please give Adams Dental Associates a call at (916) 999-1302 to book an appointment. We are happy to answer any questions you have about oral appliance therapy to help you improve your sleep and your life.

Odds are, you’ve heard the term sleep apnea, but you may not know exactly what it means or how many people have it. Sleep apnea is a condition that can be extremely detrimental to your overall health and quality of life. At Adams Dental Associates in Sacramento, we can help our patients with effective management of sleep apnea using oral appliance therapy. Our dentists are able to help patients with this great snoring treatment that improves both sleep and overall health.

 

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disruption in your natural breathing pattern while you sleep. The airway becomes obstructed by tissues in the throat, causing the oxygen reaching your brain to dramatically decrease. When this happens, your brain signals your body to startle awake, causing you to gasp and breathe again. Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea experience this pattern repeatedly, up to hundreds of times per night.
In addition to excessive snoring and massively disrupting sleep, which leads to daytime fatigue and reduced productivity, sleep apnea can contribute to many other serious health problems, including:

 

• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• High cholesterol
• Stress, mood disorders, and depression
• Memory loss

 

 

Oral appliance treatment for sleep apnea

For years, CPAP treatment was the mainstay in treating sleep apnea. While effective, CPAP machines can be bulky and disruptive, which leads to low treatment compliance. Oral appliance therapy is an alternative to CPAP therapy and is a comfortable and effective way to treat sleep apnea.

Oral appliances are custom-designed mouthpieces that are worn in the mouth while sleeping. The appliance is designed to maintain an open, unobstructed airway, allowing you to breathe normally throughout the night and reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea. Because the appliance is designed to stabilize the oral structures, you may notice some soreness in the initial few days of wearing it, but over time, it will become a comfortable way to improve your sleep and your quality of life.

 

Learn more about our great snoring treatment today

If you are ready to start sleeping better, it’s time to learn about oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea. To book your consultation, give us a call at Adams Dental Associates today at (916) 999-1302.