-Can my dentist help prevent snoring?

While snoring is more a nuisance that a health concern, there is the possibility of snoring developing into sleep apnea, a condition where the person stops breathing during sleep. Snoring occurs when the airway narrows between the back of the tongue and the soft palate. Air passes over the soft palate as it vibrates, causing the snoring sound. The tongue falling back over the air way causes sleep apnea where breathing stops during sleep. As a person tries harder to breath, the tighter the airways are blocked . This may happen infrequently or very frequently. As air intake is reduced, oxygen levels in the body can decrease with sleep apnea. This can be a precursor to heart attacks, strokes, and other serious conditions. To prevent snoring and sleep apnea, people are turning to oral or dental appliances to treat the problem. The appliance is placed in the mouth, pulling the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open during sleep. It also prevents the tongue from falling back and blocking the airway. Your dentist will perform a though examination to rule out any other conditions and if appropriate, will then determine the best positioning of your jaw and custom make the best appliance for you.