It can be disastrous trying to sleep next to a snorer. No matter how hard you try to get to sleep, the loud and obnoxious snores won’t let you. You may secure some temporary relief by prodding the snorer awake or rolling him or her over, but within a few minutes, without fail, the orchestra of saws will start up again.

It can be very difficult not to let such frustrations creep into a relationship, and work and home lives may suffer as your fuse grows shorter and shorter as you become more and more sleep deprived. But what can you do short of finding new sleeping arrangements? Your Erlangerdentist, Dr. Darlene Henry, discusses the causes of those nighttime symphonies and what kind of treatment can stop snoring.

Snoring on an Anatomical Level

The vibration of soft tissues in the throat is responsible for the sound we associate with snoring. As the body relaxes at night, so do the throat’s tissues. When a sleeper lies on his or her back, gravity pulls the tissues into the airway, causing them to vibrate as air flows past them. If you roll the sleeper over, snoring may lessen or stop temporarily because gravity no longer pulls the tissues into the airway.

Treatment for Snoring

In order to treat snoring, your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Henry, may prescribe an oral appliance called a sleep guard for nighttime wear. The sleep guard can help stop snoring because it pushes the lower jaw forward, which opens the airway and keeps it clear even as the body relaxes into sleep. Another benefit of the sleep guard is that it protects teeth from bruxism (teeth grinding), which often occurs in snorers during the night.

Schedule a Visit with Your Erlanger Dentist

Is your spouse’s snoring driving you mad? Are you ready for him or her to stop snoring so that you can finally get some good rest? Set up an appointment or a consultation with your Erlanger dentist, Dr. Henry, today by calling our 41018 dentist office at 859-344-8500. We serve patients from Erlanger, Cincinnati, Crestview Hills, Fort Mitchell, Florence, Union, Independence, and Taylor Mill.