The Dentist and Sleep Apnoea

Posted on 07 May 2020

Sleep apnoea causes your breathing to intermittently stop during sleep, and is a medical condition that affects your overall health. Symptoms? You will snore loudly, wake up gasping for air, have morning headaches and daytime fatigue.

Many people never suspect that sleep apnoea could be the cause of their sleep  problem. 

Key takeaways:

• Mild sleep apnoea means your breathing is interrupted up to 100 times every night. You may not notice any symptoms other than snoring and fatigue.
• Severe apnoea means you stop breathing up to 250 times every night. Snoring and fatigue are more severe than in mild cases.
• Severe apnoea is a potentially life-threatening condition, as it cuts off the oxygen in your body and your brain.

The first step is getting a referral from your dentist, as there may be a retainer-like device that they can provide to help keep airways open. If that doesn’t help your sleep apnoea, they'll put you in touch with a sleep specialist.