How your dentist in Glasgow can help resolve snoring

If your or your partner’s snoring is causing disruption to your sleep at night, it may be worth giving our dentist in Glasgow a visit to address what could be causing it. Snoring can be characterised by the loud and hoarse sound that occurs due to the vibration of the tissues in your throat caused by air flowing through them. While most people snore at some point in their life for numerous reasons, it can be a more serious problem for some and sometimes even indicate a serious health condition. Snoring is usually associated with a sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnoea, which is a condition that causes the walls of your throat to relax and narrow while you are sleeping, thus interrupting your normal breathing.

Snoring can be caused by a variety of factors such as alcohol consumption, your weight, allergies, a cold or the anatomy of your mouth and sinuses. It often occurs when you progress from a light to a deep sleep and the muscles in the roof of your mouth, tongue and throat relax. Sometimes the tissues in your throat relax enough to the point where they partially block the airway and vibrate making the airflow more forceful and increasing the tissue vibration which causes the snoring to become louder. There are also a number of risk factors that contribute to snoring; these include gender as more men tend to suffer with sleep apnoea than women; being overweight as the back of the throat may have extra tissues that narrow the airway; having nasal problems such as a deviated septum or nasal congestion and having a family history of snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea.

What complications can snoring cause?

Not only is regular snoring annoying for you or your partner, but it can cause additional complications when associated with obstructive sleep apnoea. Most people with chronic snoring find themselves struggling to stay awake or feeling sleepy during the day. They may also experience frequent feelings of frustration and anger and even struggle to concentrate. Snoring in its most severe cases can also lead to serious health conditions such as high blood pressure and stroke as a result of lack of sleep, so it is imperative that you contact our dentist in Glasgow as soon as possible, to reduce the risk of developing further health problems.

How can dentists help manage snoring?

If you or your partner suffer with snoring, you will be pleased to know that we may have a solution for you at Buttercup 7 Day Dental. Our dentist in Glasgow offers a variety of oral devices and mouthpieces to address snoring problems. After a one-to-one consultation and an analysis of your mouth, a custom-made mouthpiece will be created from impressions that are taken of your teeth to make sure it fits comfortably. This mouthpiece is to be worn at night and works by holding your bottom jaw slightly forward which opens your airway thus allowing you to breathe better and reduce how much you snore. Snoring may also cause side effects which the dentist may be able to help you with; for example, you may develop a dry mouth due to having your mouth open when sleeping which causes bad breath. Further dental problems snoring may cause include burning mouth syndrome and gum disease, so it is vital that you visit your dentist to ensure any sign of dental issues are detected and dealt with in their early stages.