How Teledontics Can Help with Your Sleep Issues

It’s estimated that 25 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, in which your airways become blocked while you sleep. The usual treatment for sleep apnea is using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

However, an estimated 50% of people find it too difficult to adapt to CPAP machines. If you’re one of them, there’s hope. In this blog, Joseph Yousefian, DMD, of Yousefian Orthodontics for Children, Teens, and Adults explains what teledontics is and why it may be a better alternative for treating sleep apnea. 

Why sleep apnea is serious

Sleep apnea causes those who suffer from it to stop breathing for brief periods. And when this occurs, the sufferer wakes up momentarily to begin breathing again. This can happen many times throughout the night.

The most obvious sign of sleep apnea is snoring. You may also notice that you have excessive daytime sleepiness, even if you get the recommended eight hours of sleep. Excessive sleepiness can increase your chances of getting into various kinds of accidents.

Furthermore, if sleep apnea goes untreated, it can raise your risk of suffering a heart attack and stroke, and it can also increase your risk of developing heart disease. Using effective sleep apnea treatment could very well save your life.

Why teledontics is different

Teledontics is a method that uses oral appliances to keep your airways open during sleep.

Children

Teledontics can be used in children to prevent sleep apnea from becoming a bigger problem as they grow older. It examines the structure of their face, nasal cavities, dental arches, and lower jaws. By bringing them into proper alignment while they sleep, it can help them have correct facial development as they grow.

The structures of the face and jaw can be used to predict future obstructive sleep apnea, even if it’s still mild in children. Correcting issues early can help prevent years of poor health.

Adults

But it’s not too late to correct improperly aligned structures in adults. Teledontic techniques can support the upper airway by expanding the upper arches, nasal cavities, and lower jaw, and thereby help improve air flow.

Similarly, teledontics can also help treat temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. These disorders — which develop because the joints that attach the lower jaw to the skull don’t work correctly — can cause a great deal of pain.

If you have sleep apnea and want to see if teledontics can help you,  book an appointment online or over the phone with Yousefian Orthodontics for Children, Teens, and Adults today.

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