For many patients, snoring is much more than a nighttime annoyance. At Chase Dental SleepCare, the team of board-certified dental sleep specialists provides effective solutions for snoring. Snoring can decrease your quality of life and signal a number of potentially dangerous issues with your airways and breathing. Chase Dental SleepCare has several convenient locations in New York: East Meadow, Commack, Williston Park, and Hicksville in Long Island; Oakland Gardens and Sunnyside in Queens; Lenox Hill and the Upper East Side in Manhattan; Midwood in Brooklyn; Staten Island; and Scarsdale and Medford, New York. To schedule your assessment, call one of the offices today or book your appointment online.

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What causes snoring?

Snoring is caused by vibrations of the relaxed soft tissue in the upper airway as you breathe. Although occasional snoring is normal, for some, snoring becomes a chronic and potentially dangerous condition.

Snoring can cause interruptions to the sleep patterns of you and your loved ones, resulting in fatigue and difficulty concentrating. There are a number of factors that can cause snoring including:

  • Enlarged tonsils
  • Position of the teeth
  • Deviated septum
  • Allergies
  • Excess body weight

All of these factors can contribute to narrowing of the airways. When you fall asleep, the muscles supporting the soft palate, uvula, tongue, and tonsils relax. If the tissues in your throat relax too much, the forceful airflow results in loud vibrations. Lifestyle factors like smoking and drinking alcohol before bed can increase your risk of snoring.

What are the risks of snoring?

Although typically thought to be harmless, snoring can signal a number of serious health concerns. Snoring is associated with an increased risk for issues like:

  • High blood pressure
  • Heart attack
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Hormonal changes
  • Stroke
  • Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD)

Snoring can also cause disruptions to your sleep affecting your performance during your daily activities. Lack of sleep puts patients who snore at an increased risk for vehicle accidents. Many patients who snore also experience frequent anger and difficulty concentrating during the day.

How is snoring treated?

Before you begin treatment, your dentist has to determine the underlying cause of your snoring. At Chase Dental SleepCare, the specialists provide dental airway assessments to check for obstructions and other abnormalities in the airway.

Your diagnosis may also include a sleep study. You and your dentist decide between a home sleep test or an in-lab polysomnography.

There are a number of effective ways to treat snoring. The most common method is oral appliance therapy. With oral appliance therapy, your dentist uses a fitted mouthpiece to create room in the airways.

If your snoring is caused by obstructive sleep apnea, Chase Dental SleepCare also offers treatments like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and epigenetics. In some cases, surgery may be required to address obstruction to the airways.

Additional treatments for snoring include:

  • Weight loss
  • Nasal sprays
  • Nasal strips
  • Positional therapy

You work together with your dentist to develop a treatment plan that is unique for you. To discuss your condition with a dental sleep medicine specialist, book your appointment by phone or online today.

 

We see patients in the following surrounding cities: Manhattan, NYC, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Call us to book your appointment today.