When you’re looking for treatment for your sleep apnea, turn to the professionals at Spark Sleep Solutions. Our board-certified doctors focus exclusively on Dental Sleep Medicine and TMJ to ensure our patients get a good night’s sleep. Learn more about the effects of sleep apnea and aging and how our San Ramon dentist offers effective treatments to reverse those aging effects.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where people stop and start breathing repeatedly when they sleep. The disruption can last anywhere from a few seconds to minutes and typically happens a few times in an hour. There are two types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): OSA occurs when your throat muscles block your airway.
- Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): CSA occurs when your brain doesn’t signal to the muscles responsible for breathing.
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Who Does Sleep Apnea Affect?
Sleep apnea can affect anyone, but it is most common in these groups:
- Men
- People over 40
- People suffering from obesity
- People with a family history of sleep apnea
- Smokers
- People who drink heavily
- People who suffer from constant nasal congestion
How Can Sleep Apnea Speed Up Aging?
Unfortunately, sleep apnea can affect your body’s aging process. When you stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night, the oxygen levels in your body drop, triggering a stress response. This repeated stress response can result in long-term damage at a cellular level, specifically to the telomeres, the caps at the ends of some chromosomes. As we age, telomeres naturally start to shorten. However, the stress response when you stop breathing at night accelerates the telomere-shortening process, causing us to age faster. In addition, as our oxygen levels drop, our body goes through what is known as “oxidative stress.” This damages cells over time, resulting in memory problems and early cognitive decline.
What Kind of Treatment Is Available for Sleep Apnea?
While many treatments are available for sleep apnea, not all are effective. And though options like the CPAP machine work, they are often noisy and cumbersome. At Spark Sleep Solutions, our board-certified doctors treat sleep apnea with FDA-approved oral devices. These devices gently reposition the jaw or tongue to keep the airway open all night. Some benefits these oral devices offer include the following:
- You can sleep in any position
- There is no noise
- The FDA has approved them
- They are discreet
- They are small enough so you can travel with them
- There are no cords involved
- There is no mask
- You don’t need to replace any parts
Our oral devices, like the Oventus O2Vent, the VIVOS DNA System, and the SomnoMed Fusion, are designed to gently expand the airway and hold the lower jaw slightly forward, preventing the jaw from collapsing. They are also customizable, ensuring that each person gets a perfect fit.
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Sleep Apnea Dentist in San Ramon
Our sleep apnea dentist in San Ramon offers a different solution for people who are CPAP mask intolerant. To find out more about our oral sleep appliances, contact our San Ramon office today.