Sleep Apnoea Treatment

When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep? If you are a tooth grinder, snorer or have excessive daytime sleepiness, you may well have Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

In the past diagnosis of sleep apnoea involved an overnight hospital visit, however here at the Ware Centre of Dental Excellence we now have the latest technological advancements that allow us to diagnose OSA from the comfort of your own home.

What is Sleep Apnoea?

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a condition where the walls of the throat relax and narrow during sleep, interrupting normal breathing. The two types are:

Apnoea – where the muscles and soft tissues in the throat relax and collapse sufficiently to cause a total blockage of the airway; it is called an apnoea when the airflow is blocked for 10 seconds or more.

Hypopnoea – a partial blockage of the airway that results in an airflow reduction of greater than 50% for 10 seconds or more.

What happens in OSA?

People with OSA may experience repeated episodes of apnoea and hypopnoea throughout the night. During an episode the lack of oxygen triggers your brain to pull you out of deep sleep – either to a lighter sleep or to wakefulness – so your airway reopens and you can breathe normally.

After falling back into a deep sleep, further episodes of apnoea and hypopnoea can occur. These events may occur around once every one or two minutes throughout the night in severe cases.

Most people with OSA snore loudly, and/or grind their teeth. Their breathing may be noisy and laboured, and it is often interrupted by gasping and snorting with each episode of apnoea.

These repeated interruptions can make you feel very tired during the day. You’ll usually have no memory of your interrupted breathing, so you may be unaware you have a problem unless a partner, friend or family member notices the symptoms while you sleep.

Complications of OSA

• Stress on the heart including: high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias etc.
• 30% higher risk of heart attack or premature death
• Stroke – men with moderate to severe OSA are 3x more likely to have a stroke
• Road traffic accidents – 6-fold increased risk of car accidents
• Diabetes – 58% of diabetic sufferers have OSA
• Snoring

Plus many, many more complications…

Who is affected?

OSA is a relatively common condition that affects more men than women. Most cases of OSA develop in people aged 30 to 60 years old, although it can affect people of all ages, including children. In the UK it is estimated that around 4% of middle aged men and 2% of middle aged women have serious OSA, with up to 25% of the population having mild to moderate OSA.

As someone with OSA may not notice they have the condition themselves, it is likely that OSA often goes undiagnosed. 

Diagnosis and screening

In the past diagnosis of sleep apnoea involved an overnight hospital visit, however here at the Ware Centre of Dental Excellence we now have the latest technological advancements that allow us to diagnose OSA from the comfort of your own home.

The APNiA® system is the only one on the market that allows diagnosis and subsequent treatment. It consists of an electronic device that performs the sleep study, diagnosis software and an intraoral device to treat the patient.

APNiA® detects 5 different information channels while the patient is sleeping: respiratory flow, oximetry, heart rate, body position and snoring. The device is comfortable and easy for the patient to put on at home, adjusting the nasal cannula and pulse oximeter on the index finger.

The next day you bring the device in with you and we can use the software to let you know simply, reliably and fully automatically whether the pathology is present and its level of severity.

How OSA is treated

OSA is a treatable condition, and there are a variety of treatment options that can reduce the symptoms.

For all cases lifestyle changes – such as losing excess weight, cutting down on alcohol and sleeping on your side.

For mild to moderate cases The APNiA® Intraoral Device (DIA) – this is a small appliance worn on the teeth that prevents the jawbone falling backwards, thus decreasing the number of apnoea episodes suffered by the patient.

For severe cases referral to a sleep centre where the use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device may be indicated – these devices prevent your airway closing while you sleep by delivering a continuous supply of compressed air through a mask.