jaw dropping back causing snoaring - See a dentist?

dantastic

When sleeping my jaw drops back and somewhat restricts air flow causing heavy snoring. I'm assuming for issues with the jaw you see a dentist? Is there a particular type of dentist for this type of issue?

ballsymchugh

you may need your GP to refer you somewhere to check out for sleep apnoea.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Yes dental appliances that hold the lower jaw forward can work great for a good number of patients. It is best to see a GP first to check you dont have sleep apnoea. Often if your researching, google sleep apnoea appliance, or dental snoring appliance. |There are a whole bunch of different types.

dantastic

I don't have any other symptoms of sleep apnea other than snoring.
The dental snoring devices looks to me like a mouth guard? Or are they any different?

ballsymchugh

dantastic wrote: »

I don't have any other symptoms of sleep apnea other than snoring.
The dental snoring devices looks to me like a mouth guard? Or are they any different?

very different, but similar.
restricted air flow is still an issue though. if you've restricted breathing during the night then it is something you should get checked.

dantastic

What is happening is my jaw muscles relax and my jaw drops back restricting the air flow. It can go back really far. Changing sleeping position only helps for a few moments as I will move back into the position I snore in. So we know what is causing the air flow restriction, the question is what can be done about it.

One of those mouth guards might just work as it would keep the jaw in place. At not a whole pile of money it would be worth testing anyway. Are there any ones on the market you would recommend or wouldn't recommend?

ballsymchugh

http://www.snorban.co.uk/

SM35

Snoring can be a social problem that wakes up the house with inherent social problems, or it can be a symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), a more serious medical issue, with increased risks of high blood pressure and stroke. Both are caused by a blockage in the upper airway.

It would be important to see your GP or a respiratory physician to rule out OSA before getting a Mandibular Advancement Splint made up, as the preferred primary treatment for OSA is CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure delivered through a nasal mask - much like a small hoover that works in reverse. Occasionally, an advancement splint can worsen OSA.

Commonly the Epworth Sleepiness Scale is used as a screening questionnaire to determine the severity of symptoms of snoring / OSA. The lower the score, the less likely one as OSA.

With snoring, simple changes to lifestyle can make a huge difference - smoking cessation, reduced alcohol intake, weight loss, excercise.

Most manufacturers of Advancement Splints claim very high success rates (95%+) using the measurement of reduction in the sound of snoring to show "success", but the real measure of success is whether the patient can actually wear the splint, and is the snoring reduced to a level that partners sleep in the same bed.. Some splints can be c€1500 - an expensive failure if you are unable to tolerate it, and patients may persist in using the splint because of their investment, even though there may be no actual improvement. It might be best to try a simple rubber advancement splint first to see if there are reductions is snoring, and if so, then move onto a more advanced (pardon the pun) splint..

You should also be aware of common side effects of advancement splints - sore jaws, sore muscles, altered bite, movement of teeth etc over time.