Do you or your spouse snore? If so a dental appliance may be able to help stop you from snoring while you sleep.
Snoring can be benign or be a symptom of a more sinister problem called obstructive sleep apnea [OSA]
obstructive sleep apnea occurs when you sleep and while you are snoring you actually stop breathing for a period of time. If you have obstructive sleep apnea this must be dealt with as it can cause high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes and other serious medical conditions.
If there is evidence that you might have obstructive sleep apnea we would refer you on to a sleep medicine specialist [a medical specialist] who would assess you to determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea. This assessment would include a consultation and possibly a sleep study where you are observed while you sleep for signs of sleep apnea. Once you are assessed we sleep medicine specialist would decide whether or not you might benefit from a dental appliance or that your problem is serious enough that you may need CPAP. CPAP is a breathing machine that synchronizes itself with your breathing and forces air through your airway usually via a nose piece.
If a dental appliance is indicated what this appliance does is move your lower jaw forward which opens up your airway so that you breathe more easily and do not snore.