Sleep Apnea or Snoring

More than 80 million people snore, that’s one third of the North American population, snoring frequently disturbs the sleep of family members and can lead to serious health problems. The muscles and soft tissues of the throat and mouth relax during sleep and reduce the size of the airway; the decrease in airway space increases the velocity of air flowing through the airway with each breath and causes the soft tissues inside the mouth and throat to vibrate in a snore. The struggle for breath which produces a snore can raise blood pressure and may damage the walls of the carotid arteries and increase the risk of stroke. Complete obstruction of the airway by the oral soft tissues and tongue can cause obstructive sleep apnea, an asphyxiative condition.

Dr. Schultz can treat sleep apnea with a custom-made snoring prevention device called the Silent Nite which, when worn during sleep, repositions the lower jaw forward and opens the airway to reduce the air velocity and soft tissue shuddering that causes snoring. Such devices eliminate snoring for most people. Models of the upper and lower teeth are custom-fabricated; the upper and lower forms are attached to each other on each side by special connectors which hold the lower jaw in a forward position.

The Silent Nite device does not interfere with oral breathing nor does it immobilize the jaw. Small movements of the jaw are possible and minimize temporomandibular joint stiffness in the morning. With the elimination of snoring, sleep is deeper and more restful for both the snorer and his or her family members.

Please contact Dr. Schultz about the Silent Nite device if you or someone in your family has a snoring problem.