{"id":962,"date":"2019-01-23T18:43:26","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T18:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/\/hudsonhighlandsdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/sleep-apnea-and-dental-health\/"},"modified":"2019-07-02T20:43:53","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T20:43:53","slug":"sleep-apnea-and-dental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/hudsonhighlandsdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/sleep-apnea-and-dental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Apnea And Dental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

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OVER 18 MILLION ADULTS<\/b> in the US alone, as well as up to 20 percent<\/a> of habitually snoring children, have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that results in brief but repeated interruptions to normal breathing during sleep. Not only is this a potentially life-threatening disorder, it also has a significant impact on oral health.<\/p>\n

The Three Types Of Sleep Apnea<\/b><\/h3>\n

Sleep apnea can occur in three different ways. Obstructive sleep apnea<\/b> (OSA) is the result of a blockage in the airway, typically the tongue collapsing against the soft palate, which in turn collapses against the back of the throat, closing off the airway. This is the most common type of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea<\/b> happens when the brain fails to signal the muscles of the respiratory system to keep breathing. Complex sleep apnea<\/b> is a combination of the first two types.<\/p>\n

Each time breath is interrupted, the brain causes the person with sleep apnea to wake up. It happens so quickly that they usually don\u2019t remember it, but the interruptions severely impact their overall quality of sleep<\/b>, as they can happen as often as hundreds of times in a single night.<\/p>\n