Team Approach to Snoring
If snoring or problems breathing easily is an issue for you or your child, your Eve Dentist will start with a review of the contributing factors which may include:
receded chin (jaw positioned too far back)
allergies causing constant nose blockage and sinus problems, mouth breathing
excessive tiredness
The likelihood of snoring has been found to be greater as we get older, and is higher in men and overweight individuals.
Dental health is closely related to respiratory (airway) health. With habitual snoring (where mouth breathing is occurring), dental risks increase for:
Dry mouth and halitosis (bad breath)
Rapid build up of dental plaque and calculus (tartar) deposits
Tooth decay and gum disease
Multiple methods may be required to investigate and address the problem, therefore we take a team approach with your Dentist leading the way and working with other health professionals.
Some key people and roles are:
Dentist: orthodontic review, specifically the position of upper/lower jaws and teeth.
Respiratory Physician: review of allergies, anatomy and condition of air passages.
Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Surgeon: review of nose, mouth, throat, septum, turbinates, adenoids, tonsils, soft palate, uvula, tongue base, larynx (voice box) anatomy.
Sleep Physician: review of sleep patterns.
In most people, snoring has multiple causes with blockage of the air passage at several sites. With a team approach between appropriate specialities, your individual assessment will allow us to identify the core issues and provide the appropriate treatment options that work best for you.
