Snoring & Sleep Apnea Solutions

When you have untreated apnea, a good night’s sleep is just a dream. The good news? CPAP isn’t your only option for turning that dream into a reality. Here at Bruno Integrative Dentistry, our holistic, multifaceted approach to sleep disordered breathing can keep you breathing easy in support of your whole body health and well-being.

Sleep Disordered Breathing or Breathing Disordered Sleep?

Perhaps a better term for the problem is “breathing disordered sleep,” since it’s the disruption of breath that keeps the body stressed throughout the night. Efficient breathing is what our bodies need to truly thrive.

It’s not just a nighttime thing. Inefficient breathing often occurs all day long only to compound at night as you recline and relax. The lower jaw slides back a bit. The tongue and soft tissues of the palate fall backwards, blocking the airway.

This collapse of soft tissues often results in snoring, which is actually the vibration of those tissues as air is forced past the blockage. Patients who snore have a significantly higher risk of heart attack or stroke. They’re also more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Oxygen Isn’t Optional

Sleep apnea isn’t the only disordered breathing that can occur during sleep, just the most common type. Whenever inhalation is less than optimal, patients suffer from fragmented sleep due to their bodies’ need for oxygen. The reduced oxygen flow can spell trouble for two of your most vital of organs especially, your heart and your brain.

Getting enough hours of sleep is one thing, but if the quality of that sleep is poor, the true regenerative power of sleep comes short. Without enough time in deep sleep each night, you’re more likely to develop any number of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and fibromyalgia.

More, the reduced airway space results in greater negative pressure and the ability of stomach acid to rise up into the throat. You may find yourself hoarse in the morning. You may develop gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), in which the acid actually makes it all the way into your mouth. Dr. Bruno is able to see its effects in the telltale signs of enamel erosion on your teeth.

A Personalized Plan to Improve Your Breathing & Sleep

When evaluating the health of your airway, Dr. Bruno will be on the lookout for this and other common signs that breathing disordered sleep may be an issue, such as worn down teeth, a scalloped tongue, or excessive neck thickness. She’ll discuss her findings with you and, if needed, develop a customized treatment plan to address these and any related issues that may be interfering with your total health.

Treatment is invariably a multidisciplinary effort, and Dr. Bruno has put together a network of expert referrals, including an ENT trained in airway issues, a myofunctional therapist, and an airway-focused orthodontist.

While specific therapies will vary from patient to patient, the goal is always the same: making sure you’re able to breathe well through your nose, have free movement of your tongue, and arches that allow your tongue to rest as it should against the palate with its tip behind your upper front teeth.

For at Bruno Integrative Dentistry, our goal is to help you live the healthiest life possible – body, mind, and mouth.

Meet Dr. Bruno