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Airway Aware Practice
AIRWAY AND ORTHODONTICS
The Anatomy of a Sleep Apnea Episode
- As airflow stops during a sleep apnea episode, the oxygen level in your blood drops.
- Your brain responds by briefly disturbing your sleep enough to kick start breathing - which often resumes with a gasp or a choking sound.
- If you have OBSTRUCTIVE sleep apnea, you probably won’t remember these awakenings. Most of the time, you’ll stir just enough to tighten your throat muscles and open your windpipe.
- In CENTRAL sleep apnea, you may be conscious of your awakenings.
- This can occur hundreds of times each night
- The resulting lack of oxygen can heighten your risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and other heart conditions. On top of this, it can also accelerate the aging process; comprise your safety, health and overall quality of life.
AIRWAY AND ORTHODONTICS
Orthodontists can play a huge role in helping children overcome their airway/sleep problems. At Beam Orthodontics, Dr. Schaefer is honored to play a role in coordinating the process. It can include working with your child's primary dentist, ENT, and myofunctional / speech specialist. Here a few questions that can help you determine if your child has an airway issue:
Does your child:
snore?
sleepwalk?
wet the bed?
mouth breathe?
have sleep apnea?
grind their teeth?
have mood swings?
have behavior issues?
have difficulty paying attention?
The more "YES" answers, the more likely it can be that your child suffers from inadequate airway. As an AIRWAY AWARE practice, Beam Orthodontics can help address the issue and improve your child's quality of life and oral health.
Orthodontists can play a huge role in helping children overcome their airway/sleep problems. At Beam Orthodontics, Dr. Schaefer is honored to play a role in coordinating the process. It can include working with your child's primary dentist, ENT, and myofunctional / speech specialist. Here a few questions that can help you determine if your child has an airway issue:
Does your child:
snore?
sleepwalk?
wet the bed?
mouth breathe?
have sleep apnea?
grind their teeth?
have mood swings?
have behavior issues?
have difficulty paying attention?
The more "YES" answers, the more likely it can be that your child suffers from inadequate airway. As an AIRWAY AWARE practice, Beam Orthodontics can help address the issue and improve your child's quality of life and oral health.
There are Three Stages of Sleep Apnea
- Mild Sleep Apnea: 5-14 episodes per hour
- Moderate Sleep Apnea: 15-29 episodes per hour
- Severe Sleep Apnea: 30+ episodes per hour throughout the night
