Reclaim Your Rest.Protect Your Health.
Airway & SleepSolutions for Adults
Breathing issues often signal developmental concerns in the jaw. We look beyond the teeth to help them breathe better, sleep deeper, and perform at their peak.
What is Sleep Apnea in Adults?
Enlarged tonsils, obesity and other factors can contribute to sleep apnea in adults and have serious health consequences.
Do you find it hard to get through the day without a nap, even though you went to bed on time the night before? Maybe you’ve noticed your mood shift to depression or irritability, with no explanation.
These symptoms may point to something more serious than growing older or “the blues”. If you’ve been told that you snore loudly or suffer from daytime fatigue, you may be experiencing sleep apnea and airway issues.
Obstructive sleep apnea can cause sufferers to stop breathing for 10 seconds or more while sleeping, forcing the brain to wake them up to breathe and disrupting deep sleep.
Sleep apnea is a serious medical issue that can severely impact your physical, mental and emotional health, now and in the future. Enlarged tonsils, blocked airways or other airway issues can cause the condition. Our orthodontists in Calgary may be able to help adults showing signs of sleep apnea issues with non-surgical airway orthodontics treatment.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Adults
If you are suffering from sleep apnea or airway constriction and breathing-related issues, you may experience many symptoms such as:
- Headaches in the morning
- Irritability, depression or other mood changes
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Breathing pauses during sleep
- Choking or drooling
- Obesity or high blood pressure
- Loud snoring
- Teeth clenching or grinding
- Chronic mouthbreathing
- Decreased libido
- Challenges concentrating during the day
- Restlessness in bed
- Mistakes or slips in work performance
- Sleepiness or sluggishness during the day
- Unusual events while sleeping (sleepwalking, night terrors)
How Sleep Apnea & Airway Issues are Treated for Adults
Adults (and those close to them) who experience sleep apnea and airway issues often notice symptoms that may be concerning.
Our orthodontic team at Vivid Orthodontics takes a non-invasive, client-first approach to orthodontics. We develop a customized orthodontic treatment plan for you with a focus on breathing and airway health, aiming to avoid extractions and invasive surgery when possible.
We can perform a myofunctional orthodontic exam to look for blockages or constrictions, including tonsils that are abnormally sized or positioned. A sleep study may be done and X-ray images taken. We might be able to treat sleep apnea and airway issues with Invisalign or other orthodontic treatment options to address the current condition and prevent health issues that may turn serious in the future.
Faq
Understanding Airway Orthodontics.
You have likely heard of CPAP, but orthodontic solutions are often less understood. Here is how we approach sleep disordered breathing.
The airway is defined by the jaws. If your jaws are narrow or recessed, the tongue has nowhere to go but back into the throat when you sleep. We use oral appliances to advance the lower jaw or skeletal expanders to widen the palate, physically opening the breathing passage.
For mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), an oral appliance is often just as effective as CPAP and much better tolerated. For severe cases, we work in conjunction with sleep physicians to find the best hybrid therapy.
Not always. While Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA) surgery is a cure for severe apnea, many adults see significant improvement with non-surgical expansion or mandibular advancement splints (MAS). We always start with the most conservative effective option.
Often, yes. Because sleep apnea is a medical condition, coverage sometimes falls under medical insurance rather than dental, though it varies by plan. We can help you navigate the pre-determination process.
Stop Fighting for Air.
Sleep shouldn’t be a struggle. Schedule an airway consultation to explore your non-CPAP options.