Life in Houston, like other places in Texas and around the country, is relentlessly fast-paced. In the course of the day, each of us makes thousands of quick decisions. Many of these are trivial: “Boxers or briefs?”, “White or wheat?”, “Paper or plastic?”, or “Call or text?”. However, some split-second judgments have significant consequences; “I just blew a tire, is my right lane clear to pull over??!!”
If your brain is sluggish because of poor sleep, it is impossible to respond with peak mental capacities. The amygdala is the region of the brain that signals the body when there is a threat. If you miss just one night of sleep, the amygdala ceases to function normally. If you have chronic poor sleep, your amygdala is significantly impaired.
An impaired amygdala causes problems in other areas of the brain as well. Reasoning, speech and hand-eye coordination slow down. In fact, a drowsy Pearland driver can be as dangerous as a tipsy Pearland driver.
If your difficulty sleeping is due to sleep apnea, we may be able to help. Montz and Maher Dental Group offers dental sleep medicine for sleep apnea.
There are three different sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where your throat muscles relax. Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain doesn’t send proper signals to control your breathing. The final type is called complex sleep apnea syndrome. This type occurs when someone has a combination of the two previously listed.
Oral appliance therapy (OAT) conducted by a dentist can be an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has approved OAT in the following circumstances:
- As a first-line treatment for people with mild to moderate OSA
- As a first-line treatment for individuals with severe OSA who are unable to use CPAP devices
- As a combination of therapy (using CPAP and an oral appliance together)
If you suspect that you suffer from sleep apnea, we invite you to set up an appointment today.
Contact Montz and Maher Dental Group:
832-895-5120
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
2443 S Galveston Ave
Pearland, Texas
77581
