Better Health through a Better Night’s Sleep

Using the latest advances in wearable dental technology, Harris Dental provides customized snoring and sleep apnea devices to help our patients and their loved ones experience the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep.

Dr. Harris can help you reduce or eliminate the symptoms of snoring or sleep apnea with a custom-made anti-snoring device. A discreet, portable, and nonsurgical treatment, an anti-snoring device works in at least one of three ways: keeping the airway unobstructed, enlarging the airway, or drawing the jaw down and forward so the tongue doesn’t obstruct the airway.

Types of Snoring and Sleep Apnea Devices

After a thorough evaluation and sleep study, Dr. Harris may recommend a Mandibular advancement device (MAD) to manage sleep apnea or snoring. Akin to mouthguards used in sports, MADs are worn on the upper and lower arches of teeth and are the most commonly used oral appliance for snoring and sleep apnea treatment. MADs have built-in hinges that prevent your tongue from rolling back by gently moving your lower jaw forward.

The Truth about Snoring

Snoring affects as many as 90 million adults in the United States. By causing you—or your bedmate—to have a rough night’s sleep, snoring is often the culprit behind daytime drowsiness, morning headaches, stress, attention problems, weight gain, and moodiness. Snoring also means that you’re breathing through your mouth (instead of your nose). In addition to causing dry mouth (xerostomia), mouth breathing can make you more susceptible to bad breath (halitosis), mouth sores, infections, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea, a condition that causes brief halts in breathing while you sleep. This means that while you sleep, the cells of your brain and body don’t receive as much oxygen as they need to function properly.

Affecting an estimated 1 in 15 Americans, sleep apnea is a risk factor for serious health issues, including stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, weight gain, and heart disease. Unfortunately, as many as 90 percent of people suffering from sleep apnea go undiagnosed, and therefore untreated. An anti-snoring device is a simple solution to this complex condition that can improve your quality of sleep and quality of life.