How Can a Dentist Help with Snoring?
The feeling of being tired and run down is bad enough even if it just happens on occation, but imagine if it was every night?
Lack of sleep over a longer period of time can have a huge impact on both mental and physical wellbeing.
You are not alone, 41.5% of the UKs adult population snore and there is an estimated 85% undiagnosed patients with Sleep Apnoea.
If you or your partners snoring is keeping you awake at night it may be time to do something about it.
What is Snoring?
A lot of people snore, in fact it is very common.
When we breathe in and out the soft tissue in the palate, mouth, nose and throat vibrate and this causes an audible sound, that is what we call snoring. When we sleep the body relaxes and so does all the muscles. In some people the muscles tone is too relaxed and it causes the tissue of the airway to start vibrating. That is why snoring mainly happens when we are asleep.
From time to time most people snore. This can be because of seasonal allergies, alcohol intake or if you have a cold that is teporarily causing congestion of your airways. But if it becomes more frequent this can have a negative impact on both you and your bed partner.
What is Sleep Apnoea?
For some people the muscles relax too much when you are asleep causing the soft tissues to almost or completely collapse and the airway becomes very narrow. This can cause you to stop breathing and if it happens frequently and for more than 10 seconds at a time it is called sleep apnoea. This disrupts your sleep and can make you feel very tired during the day.
Snoring can be linked to other medical conditions such as obstructive sleep apnoea and this will need further investigation. We are here to help and can after a clinical assessment arrange for a sleep test do be done in the comfort of your own home and get a formal diagnosis done by a sleep physician.
Can Snoring be treated?
When you come to see us at The Whitehouse Dental Clinic we fully assess you with a clinical examinaiton of your airways, screen you for Obstructive Sleep Apnoes (OSA) and dental suitability for wearing a device to treat your snoring. We can provide a non-invasive appliance called a mandibular advancement device (MAD). These devices help position the lower jaw forward to open up the airway and improve the airflow, thus reducing snoring symptoms.
If you are displaying signs and symptoms of severe sleep apnoea or have any underlying medical conditions that might also need to be taken in to consideration, then we will refer you to have a further medical assessment. Where OSA is present, any anti-snoring device will only be provided as part of an integrated treatment plan.
How Can We Help You?
When you come for your initial consultation a full medical and sleep history will be performed alongside a dental assessment. Should you wish to proceed with treatment a dental radiograph would also be taken to assess your dental health and suitability to wear a MAD.
To be able to fully assess and formally diagnose your snoring (or OSA) we offer the latest in sleep testing technology, the AcuPebble, to perform a sleep study in the comfort of your own home. The AcuPebble is the first medical device to obtain the CE mark for automated diagnosis of OSA.This device monitors your sleep and is a diagnostict tool to fully understand what is happening whilst you are sleeping. The results are analysed by a sleep physician providing a full report on your sleep study.
Based on all the results Dr Chris will then come up with a personalised treatment plan for you which she will discuss in full.
Dr Chris Papoutsi, DDS, GDC 191520
After receiving her Degree in Dental Surgery from the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Sweden in 2007, she started her career working as a dentist in Stockholm’s largest emergency dental practice giving her a broad experience treating various dental conditions and patients with dental anxiety.
Upon moving to London in 2011 she has been working in private practice and continually attends courses in her special interests of minimally invasive cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign and treating patients who suffer from snoring.
Dr Chris has over 17 years of clinical experience in treating patients that suffer from tooth grinding and snoring, tailoring the use of nightguards and/or snoring devices with muscle relaxant treatments.
Chris takes a Scandinavian approach to dentistry and is an advocate of biomimetic dentistry: minimally invasive procedures that emulate the nature of patients’ teeth. This approach allows her to achieve maximum conservation of tooth structure and exceptional aesthetics. Dr Chris has a keen interest in patient wellbeing, attention to detail, and a desire to always put every clients wellbeing first.
Dr Chris has a special interest in helping people who suffer from tooth grinding and snoring. This interest has not only transpired in many happy patients she has treated over the years but she has also completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Sleep Medicine (PgCert DSM), making her one of very few dentist in the UK with indepth expertise and knowledge to treat patients who suffer from snoring. Dr Chris is also licenced to administer at home medical sleep testing to be able to get a full diagnosis of your snoring or OSA.
Don’t hesitate to ask for a consultation as she will be happy to tailor your treatment after your individual needs.
