What Causing Snoring and Ways to Prevent It

Snoring can be an embarrassing problem. It can have an impact on your life and even on your spouse or partner. It can also be a symptom of a serious health problem that makes ignoring it dangerous. Recent developments with products focused on helping you stop snoring have been incredibly successful to bring tranquility back your nights.

The Causes of Snoring

The cause of snoring is sound production in the back of the throat due to increased airflow, which occurs at night when muscles relax during sleep. Your breathing passages become narrow. This causes the body to breathe harder to get the required oxygen that it needs. It creates a vicious cycle that often leads to long bouts of intense snoring which can disturb an entire household.

Snoring can also be a sign of a serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) or, as it commonly referred to as, “sleep apnea.” This occurs when the obstruction is so complete that the snorer quits breathing completely for seconds at a time. Left untreated, sleep apnea can be a dangerous, even life-threatening, condition.

Males are often more impacted by sleep apnea than woman. In fact, older males are the most likely to suffer from this condition. Males are believed to be more prone to snoring and sleep apnea because they have narrower air passages than women.

Hope for Snorers

Snoring was once a condition that many people had to simply learn to “endure.” In recent years, however, there have been a number of advancements that make snoring no longer something that anyone must suffer through.

There are a few simple treatments for snoring to try initially to see if the snorer experiences significant relief. These include weight loss, avoidance of a supine sleeping position, sleeping with the head elevated, avoidance of alcohol or sedatives at night, and treatment of nasal symptoms (such as allergies).

If these simple fixes don’t help, there are more sophisticated techniques that can be very helpful. One successful method is by using a jaw supporter. These devices are worn while sleeping at night and work by keeping the lower jaw in an upward position. This creates more passage in the airway tube which eliminates vibration during breathing.

Jaw reconstruction surgery is another anti-snoring option that involves adding bone to the jaws that has melted away over time or has been lost to cancer or accident. In addition, bones of the face may be enhanced through the use of implants to the chin, cheek, nose and jaw.

The TAP System

At Evergreen Dental , we recommend a powerful system that is offered by The Thornton Adjustable Positioner® (TAP®). This anti-snoring device is an oral appliance that is both custom fit and adjustable.
The TAP®s simple design, coupled with its high use rate, makes it the most effective anti-snoring and sleep apnea device available. The TAP® is also the primary oral appliance replacement for the Continuous Positive Airway (CPAP) machine and surgery.

The TAP appliance is only available by prescription by a dentist. We will happily evaluate your needs in our office and see if you are a candidate for this device.

This product is a custom adjustable oral appliance that is worn while sleeping. The appliance holds the lower jaw forward, preventing the tongue and the soft tissue of the throat from collapsing into the airway.
The single most distinguishing feature of the TAP® is that it can be adjusted by the patient while in the mouth by the use of a small detachable key. This can be done until the lower jaw is brought forward enough to ensure the airway remains open during sleep. Once the patient’s perfect fit is achieved, the key is removed and the patient can completely close their mouth with the appliance inside. As a result of the comfort, the TAP® has a compliance rate of 95%.

Patients are able to manage the degree of lower jaw protrusion over as many nights as it takes to achieve the optimal effect comfortably. The fact that TAP® has a single point of adjustment prevents uneven bilateral adjustment which can create bite dysfunction.

Life After Snoring

Most people who have previously been frequent snorers often report an incredible increase in the quality of their sleep. This improved sleep quality has far reaching, and possibility unexpected benefits. There may be a remarkable increase in one’s performance at work, less fatigue-triggered injuries, and even an improvement in personal relationships as a direct result of simply stopping snoring.

Snoring does not have to dominate your life. There are several methods you can choose from that can easily stop your snoring for better sleep for both you and those around you.