Snoring & Sleep Apnea

You know it instinctively: A good night's sleep is essential for good health.

It makes you feel rested and ready to take on the world. Yet many people don’t get the sleep they need. Sometimes this is related to sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) — their own, or those experienced by their sleeping partners.

SRBD is characterized by recurrent episodes of reduced or interrupted respiratory airflow. This is caused by soft tissues near the back of the throat collapsing during sleep so that they partially close off the windpipe. These tissues — the tongue, for example — can vibrate as air passes by, causing snoring. Snoring is often worsened sleeping on one’s back because this encourages the lower jaw to slip back, which in turn pushes the tongue in front of the airway.

Loud snoring often disturbs the person in the bed who isn’t the one doing it, robbing him or her of vital sleep. The snorer, on the other hand, may seem to be slumbering peacefully, but this might not actually be the case. Chronic loud snoring is a common symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA; “a” – without; “pnea” – breath), which occurs when the upper airway is blocked to the point of causing significant airflow disruption, or even no airflow whatsoever for 10 seconds or more. This can be dangerous as reduced airflow into the lungs lowers blood-oxygen levels.

A person with sleep apnea may wake 50 or more times per hour — that’s almost once a minute! — without having any memory of it. These awakenings, called micro-arousals, last just long enough to restore muscle tone to the airway so the individual can breathe. Unfortunately, all those micro-arousals preclude deep and restful sleep. 

What to Look Out For

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a serious matter as it can lead to heart problems and other health issues. It’s possible you may have OSA if you snore and also suffer from any of the following:

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Irritability
  • Poor memory/confusion
  • Accident proneness
  • Night sweats
  • Morning headaches
  • High blood pressure
  • Obesity 

How We Can Help

By now you’re probably wondering: What does my dentist have to do with all this? Here’s the connection: Snoring or sleep apnea can sometimes be treated with an oral appliance available here at the dental office that’s designed to hold the lower jaw forward during sleep. This repositioning of the jaw moves the tongue away from the back of the throat, reducing the potential for obstruction. This treatment is backed by a great deal of scientific evidence; it’s a good remedy to try before moving on to more complicated breathing devices or surgery to remove excess tissues in the throat.

Only a dentist can fabricate, fit, adjust, monitor, and treat complications associated with Oral Appliance Therapy used in managing SRBD. So if you or a loved one is experiencing any combination of the signs and symptoms mentioned above, please come in and talk to us about Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT). Even if something beyond OAT is called for in your particular case, we will make sure you get the help you need. 

Meet Your Award Winning Doctors

Dr. Mairead M. O’Reilly and Dr. Riddhi Desai  are experienced, board-certified professionals providing orthodontic treatment in the Annapolis, Maryland community.

Dr. Mairead M. O’Reilly
Portrait of Dr. Riddhi Desai, a board certified orthodontist in Annapolis, MD

Dr. Riddhi Desai

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233 5-star reviews in Annapolis, MD and counting…
Joshua T. H.
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Absolutely wonderful experience from check-in to check-out. Professional, friendly, and courteous staff in a beautiful state-of-the-art facility. Dr. O'Reilly is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful and did a remarkable job of not only providing me with a “this is your mouth 101” course, she also suggested several professional treatment recommendations. I can't speak highly enough of my visit, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to anyone considering treatment options. You've been warned - expect an amazing experience!
Stephanie S.
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Dr. O’Reilly is exceptional. Her staff is friendly, professional and efficient. The office has the latest technology and is pristine. When you are under the care of Dr.O’Reilly you know you have the best of everything— her world of knowledge, experience and skill. What you won’t anticipate, is how much you’ll feel seen and heard. I have complete trust in her and would highly recommend her to everyone.
Kayla H.
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Dr. O'Reilly and everyone who works in the office are incredible! They care about you first and will do what they can to make your treatment plan flexible to work with you. I've worked with Pam on multiple occasions to help me make appointments when my schedule changes last minute. Dr. O'Reilly makes your experience during your appointments comfortable and positive and will always greet you with a smile. Love them!
Alecia A.
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I had been dealing with an issue of my bite being off for months and was extremely apprehensive about getting braces as an adult. Dr. O’Reilly and her outstanding staff immediately put me at ease. Her team and her not only made me feel comfortable about one day getting braces, Dr. O’Reilly took the extra time and care to discover an underlining condition in the root of my tooth which in my opinion went above and beyond the scope of care. Her team then took the time to get me an appointing with another specialist to solve the problem before I can get braces. Outstanding!