Sleep is an integral part of health. A sound sleep of 7-8 hours a day is desirable for all age groups. The quality of sleep and sleep patterns have been scientifically proven to have beneficial effects on overall health. There are many factors that influence the quality of a good night-time sleep such as diet, exercise, healthy routine, use of screens before going to bed, mental health, room temperature as well as surroundings and comfort. The one factor that is most commonly ignored is a patient airway.

A recent survey has revealed snoring to be found in as high as 24-50 % of men and 14-30 % of women. Snoring not only affects the sleep of the individual but also sleeping partners and spouse as well as children. Snoring often hinders a peaceful sleep and leads to fatigue and loss of focus during the waking hours of the day. Snoring is caused due to tongue falling back during deep sleep and interfering with breathing leading to various sounds. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are so closely related to each other that these terms are often found to be used interchangeably.

There is a strong correlation between obstructive sleep apnea and mal-aligned teeth or collapsed bite. The teeth undergo a continuous mechanical wear and tear due to chewing contacts and forces, which is referred to as attrition. Attrition caused the teeth to become smaller in height, causing the chewing forces to be distributed unevenly in the oral cavity. All these factors work in tandem leading to loss of harmony of oral and maxillofacial musculature and changed muscle programming in order to accommodate the changes pattern of chewing and speaking. The muscles of mastication and facial expression are interlinked with other muscle of head and neck region; causing unexplained neck and shoulder pains and tiredness even after sufficient hours of sleep. This vicious cycle worsens over a period of time due to lack of awareness and prolonged diagnosis.

OSA can be easily diagnosed by visiting an expert Oral Medicine and Radiology expert (oral physician) or a sleep expert. There are Sleep Apnea devices that can be custom made for you by your dental care expert in order to prevent OSA and snoring during your night sleep. So, if you think even remotely that you may be suffering from snoring due to OSA; get in touch with your dentist now….