Putting Sleep Apnea to Rest
   
Every morning, millions of Americans wake up feeling groggy and tired, even after getting a full night’s rest. These folks may also have a hard time concentrating throughout the day or even nod off at the wheel. Are you one of them?
   
If this sounds like you, you may have a sleeping disorder known as sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea stop breathing during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times throughout the night for a minute or longer. This puts significant stress on your heart, lungs and blood pressure, not to mention your day-to-day mood. Even worse, sleep apnea can increase your chances of heart attack and stroke if left untreated.
   
So what can you do? Or rather, what can your dentist do for you?
  
The Full Breath Solution
   
A revolutionary breakthrough in dental technology called the Full Breath Solution® makes it possible for dentists to treat sleep apnea using a dental appliance in a much more successful and effective manner. This retainer-like mouthpiece prevents your tongue from blocking your airway, allowing for more oxygen to reach your lungs.
   
The Full Breath mouthpiece could also be the perfect alternative for sleep apnea sufferers who don’t respond to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. In fact, dental appliance therapy is the #1 solution recommended by the Academy of Sleep Medicine for patients who are CPAP intolerant. The problem with CPAP is not the treatment itself. But many patients find it difficult to fall asleep while wearing a bulky CPAP mask, which defeats the purpose.
   
With the Full Breath Solution you don’t have to worry about wearing an uncomfortable mask or feeling restricted while you sleep. The mouthpiece is small and fits over your upper mandible snugly and comfortably. What’s more, the Full Breath Solution is also proven to stop snoring in 99 percent of snorers!
    

Sleep Apnea Facts From A to Zzzz
    
Apnea means "without breath" in Greek. According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep apnea affects the vast majority of Americans. Many sleep apnea sufferers aren’t aware that they have a problem; they may know that they snore but don’t realize that a serious condition underlies the annoyance. One telltale sign of sleep apnea is loud snoring followed by complete silence – that moment of silence may actually mean that you’ve stopped breathing.
    
There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and mixed. With obstructive sleep apnea, the airway becomes blocked; this can happen when the tongue falls and blocks the airway or when the soft tissue in the rear of the mouth collapses or closes. This is the most common form of sleep apnea. With central sleep apnea, there is no physical blockage but (for some reason), the brain fails to signal the muscles to breath. Finally, mixed sleep apnea is a combination of the two. 
   
Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause a host of mental and physical problems, ranging from high blood pressure and impotency to depression and memory problems. If you’re male, overweight or over the age of 40, you may be at increased risk for sleep apnea, but it can affect anyone - even children. Getting proper treatment can reduce your risk for serious health conditions, bring clarity back to your thoughts, boost your energy and improve your mood.
    
Getting Started on Treatment
    
The first thing to do is set up an evaluation with us. During your evaluation, we’ll use a special computer to measure the amount air flowing down your airway. The process is painless and fast. When you receive your Full Breath Solution mouthpiece, we can show you the perfect spot to bite down on to ensure that you receive the maximum amount of air while you sleep. Wearing your mouthpiece properly will also help silence those snores!