Sleep Apnea & Snoring

We all know that snoring can be a nuisance. It’s disruptive and can be outright embarrassing at times. However, did you know that snoring often indicates a more serious problem? When you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Snoring results from blocked airways, which means that your body may not be receiving enough oxygen. Many snorers’ air pathways are obstructed to the extent that they actually stop breathing! This condition is known as sleep apnea.

An apnea is a lapse in breath that lasts for longer than 10 seconds. Patients with sleep apnea can experience these “apneas” hundreds of times while sleeping and not even be aware of it. Snoring, daytime drowsiness, irritability, depression, memory loss—these are all signs that you may not be receiving enough oxygen while sleeping. Every part of our body needs oxygen to thrive – the brain, the blood, the muscles – all of it. This is why sleep apnea is so serious. In addition to altering mood and impairing daytime productivity, it can lead to heart attack, stroke, and even premature death.

Now, for the good news. In most cases, snoring and sleep apnea can be treated with very conservative therapies. Dr. Wagner can create a thin, flexible mouthguard worn at night to hold the jaw forward and open airways. Called an oral appliance, this treatment has proven very effective for the majority of patients who snore and/or have sleep apnea. An oral appliance is a viable alternative for patients who have tried treatment with a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and found it intolerable, as well. Dr. Wagner may recommend a sleep study to determine whether you suffer from sleep apnea.

Click here to take the standardized sleep apnea test.

Discover the Difference
Call our Jacksonville Beach dental office today and reserve your appointment with general and cosmetic dentist Dr. Scott Wagner. Located in Jacksonville Beach, patients visit our office from across the nation, as well as the surrounding areas of Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Ponte Vedra. Dr. Wagner is known throughout the U.S. as the dentist to visit for exceptional dentistry and life-changing smiles.