Who hasn’t experienced sleep difficulties? Spending a sleepless night without any apparent reason is common, and issues such as snoring and sleep apnea are more prevalent than many realize. These disturbances may arise from different causes. What few people know is that dental treatment can help reduce or even resolve some of these problems.
The causes are diverse. Anxiety, for example, directly affects sleep quality, since anxious individuals often struggle to relax and disconnect from daily worries when they go to bed.
In addition to psychological factors, there are also physical conditions that interfere with sleep.
Snoring and sleep apnea are two of the most frequent examples. Left untreated, they not only harm a patient’s rest but can also disturb the sleep of those nearby.
For this reason, although it may not seem obvious at first, dental care through a dental plan can play an important role in treatment. Below, we explain why.
Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Before connecting these issues to dentistry, it is important to understand what they are and how they occur.
Snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea and is often associated with factors such as:
- Enlarged tonsils
- A large tongue
- Excess fat in the neck area
- Nasal structure
- Jaw position or structure
Sleep apnea is more complex. It is characterized by breathing pauses and irregular sounds during sleep.
In some cases, breathing stops more than five times per hour, reducing airflow and blood oxygen levels.
This lack of oxygen is the main risk factor of the condition.
The Role of Dental Care
Dental care, whether through private practices, public services, or employer-sponsored plans, is essential for several reasons.
First, maintaining good oral health supports overall well-being.
Proper oral health also prevents more serious complications while improving appearance and confidence.
Basic habits such as regular brushing, flossing, healthy eating, and routine checkups are fundamental. Access to a dental plan, for example, through an employer, is an additional benefit.
When it comes to apnea and snoring, however, dentists can provide more targeted solutions.
Since sleep apnea is often related to airway obstruction in the throat, dentists can, through an employer-sponsored plan, for example, design intraoral devices that help maintain airflow.
Traditional treatments, such as orthodontic appliances that correct bite alignment or intraoral splints similar to those used for bruxism, can also improve breathing and sleep quality.
By correcting the bite, these devices facilitate easier airflow and reduce obstructions.
Dentistry is one of the fastest-growing areas in terms of technological advancement, applied in different contexts.
This development directly benefits dental treatments and contributes to a better quality of life for patients.
Beyond oral health, some of these technologies also have applications in general health, such as devices that address airway issues related to sleep apnea.
For example, dentists have developed intraoral appliances that help keep the airway in the throat open, making breathing easier.
This alternative is particularly valuable because treating sleep apnea is essential: the condition affects overall health and can cause stress, fragmented sleep, and frequent pain, among other consequences.
One of the most common underlying causes of sleep apnea is snoring, which can be linked to the size or positioning of the jaw.
Since the jaw is directly related to dentistry, orthodontic devices designed by dentists, who are part of an employer-sponsored plan, for example, can reposition it, widening the airway and facilitating breathing during sleep.
However, these treatments are not simple and require ongoing follow-up with a dental professional.
Patients must attend regular appointments to monitor progress, identify necessary adjustments, and implement improvements recommended by their dental care team.
This content was originally developed by the team of Networkflow, specialists in networking, entrepreneurship, health, and quality-of-life content.
