Sleep Apnea
Ever wondered what causes people to snore and how common it really is? Over 90 million Americans snore, and at least half of those who snore loudly have sleep apnea. These widespread sleep problems are caused, in part, by a thinning and loosening of the tissue separating your nasal passage and your throat airway (the soft palate and uvula). Consequently, this tissue sags down and hampers the airflow from running through the nasal passageway and into the lungs.
In mild cases, this results in the vibration we refer to as snoring. In more severe cases, the tissue completely or partially blocks you from taking in air through the nose, resulting in a condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or other issues.
Here are some symptoms and consequences of snoring and sleep apnea:
- Weight gain
- Nightmares
- Sleep deprivation and chronic fatigue
- Depression
- Dry mouth and dry throat
- Irritability and mood swings
- Morning headaches
- Decrease sex drive
- High blood pressure
- Stroke and heart conditions
Nightlase®
Most people don’t realize that these problems can be easily remedied by a minimally invasive and quick procedure known as NightLase®. There’s no need for anesthesia, sutures or scalpels. Instead, this treatment uses the gentle power of our Fotona Lightwalker laser to stimulate the body to produce more collagen. This stiffens and lifts the tissue in the back of the throat and throughout the mouth, opening your airway and clearing a path for better breathing while awake and sleeping. This can significantly improve your sleeping patterns and optimize your life. Not only does this reduce the frequency and intensity of snoring, but it also serves as a treatment for lessening sleep apnea symptoms.
At Millennium Dental Associates, we make the NightLase® procedure fast and easy. There’s no pain during treatment nor adverse side effects after treatment. Patients often describe it as a gentle sensation of heat. Results are immediate after a quick visit, leading to a 50% average reduction in snoring just from the first round of treatment. For most people, three rounds of treatment will be necessary to completely stop snoring and to address properly sleep apnea.
The results of the treatment have been shown to last up to at least a year or more before a touch up treatment is needed. Depending on the patient, a full course of NightLase® therapy includes up to three 30-minutes sessions, spaced out over six weeks.
