It's likely that most people have heard of sleep apnea given the amount of attention and shocking headlines presented in the media. With links to daytime sluggishness, mood changes, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver problems and more. Sleep apnea is a disorder where regular rhythmic breathing during sleep is interrupted by periods absent of functional breathing. There are mainly two causes, physical blockage of the airway or a failure of the brain to adequately signal for breathing, and sometimes both play a factor.

To address sleep apnea caused by physical blockage of the airway, typically all that's needed is an appliance that fits over the teeth and props the jaw forward. Propping the jaw forward prevents the tongue and other soft structures from collapsing on the airway.

So if you are concerned about yourself or your partner snoring, or if you're experiencing unproductive sleep, make an appointment with Dr. Schmidt to evaluate whether you may be at risk for sleep-disordered breathing. Together with your family physicians diagnosis your dentist is the ideal person to oversee fabrication of the appliance, the fit, and monitor the long-term effects that it might be having on your teeth or gums. Typically this appliance is covered by your health insurance, which leaves your dental insurance unaffected.