Snoring and sleep apnea disrupt your sleep, causing daytime sleepiness, headaches, and mood disorders. At Beachwood Sleep Center, we understand that dentistry is about more than cavities and cosmetics. That’s why our dental clinic focuses on snoring, sleep apnea, and sleep dentistry, helping you breathe easily and sleep soundly.
Most people don’t think of orthodontics when they think of snoring and sleep apnea, but orthodontics can be an effective treatment for these issues. At the Beachwood Sleep Center, we offer sleep apnea airway orthodontics (including recommending the use of the MARPE appliance when needed) as one of our ways to treat sleep apnea and stop snoring.
Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring
How can orthodontics and sleep apnea, and snoring possibly be related?
Since snoring and sleep apnea can be caused by anatomical issues, they can be treated with orthodontics.
Airway orthodontics focuses on adjusting your teeth, whether they are canted in or out, your jaw, and palate to ensure you have the best airflow possible. A small change in the alignment of your teeth or jaw or the width of your palate can make a big difference in your breathing and your sleep.
Cause of Sleep Apnea and Snoring
Snoring and sleep apnea can be caused by a narrow airway or other anatomical issues, like a misaligned jaw or small palate.
- Snoring occurs when air vibrates the soft tissues in your throat and mouth.
- Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that causes you to repeatedly stop breathing during the night. Sleep apnea means you have a completely blocked airway for a few seconds until your brain wakes you up and you resume breathing.
Sleep Apnea Airway Management
When your tongue, teeth, pallet, or throat muscles block the airway, it causes sleep apnea. Some reasons for sleep apnea include:
- Age.
- Weight.
- Genetics.
- A smaller airway.
- Orthodontic alignment.
- Palate width
Luckily, airway orthodontics can help mitigate these anatomical problems. By expanding your palate or shifting your jaw, airway orthodontics treatment for snoring and sleep apnea can open up your airway and create more room in your mouth and throat.
With airway orthodontics, you can permanently treat your snoring and sleep apnea by treating the root cause of your condition rather than simply treating the symptom as with a CPAP.
What Is MARPE?
MARPE, which stands for mini screw-assisted rapid palatal expansion, is one treatment device used in airway orthodontics. It is a non-surgical and non-extraction treatment option for people with narrow upper jaws.
A narrow upper jaw can create a couple of problems, including sleep apnea:
- Nasal obstruction.
- Crowded teeth.
- A narrow airway.
MARPE differs from other devices that expand your upper jaw, which must be used before your maxillary bone (the bone that forms the roof of your mouth) fuses, which happens around 12–15 years of age. However, MARPE directly connects the expander to your maxillary bone, allowing it to be used after the bone has fused.
How Does MARPE Work?
MARPE expands your maxillary bone, increasing the overall space in your mouth. Extra space in your mouth means that your tongue has more room, which prevents it from falling backward and blocking your airway, and it also means that you’ll have a larger airway.
When you start MARPE treatment, you’ll get a custom-made expander placed along the roof of your mouth. This procedure is quick (20–30 minutes) and done under local anesthesia so that you won’t feel a thing! You’ll gradually widen your expander on the schedule Dr. Goldstein recommends, giving you a wider airway and better airflow.
Orthodontic MARPE Treatment Isn’t Just for Looks
Lots of people associate orthodontics with cosmetics, and everyone wants a beautifully straight smile, after all. However, orthodontics isn’t just cosmetic, and it’s also essential to your overall health, confidence, and success in life.
A correctly aligned bite, straight teeth, and a sufficiently spaced palate are all key factors that treat snoring and sleep apnea and improve your life in more ways than one. Fixing these orthodontic issues can help you in the following areas:
- Eating.
- Speaking.
- Self-confidence.
- Getting better sleep.
- Preventing gum or tooth problems.
If the airway isn’t the problem behind your sleep apnea, it could be the alignment of your jaw or teeth. We can help with that too! Using Invisalign clear braces, we can straighten your teeth and adjust your jaw to allow for easier breathing while you sleep.
Call Today To Find Out More About MARPE
Don’t let orthodontic problems get in the way of your sleep. Call Beachwood Sleep Center now at 216-470-5738 for your FREE virtual consultation. Beachwood Sleep Center is here to help you sleep better!