Dental airway assessments help doctors diagnose obstructive sleep problems such as sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome. If you snore, a dental airway assessment can help determine the cause of your problem. Airway dentistry focuses on the structure of your mouth and how it impacts your breathing. Issues like tooth wear, tongue position, and the condition of soft mouth tissue can obstruct your airway. The primary goal of Commack dental airway assessment is to diagnose the cause of your sleep conditions and offer appropriate treatment. Obstructed airways can cause complications like hypertension and cardiovascular disorders.
Procedure for dental airway assessment
History
Your specialist will ask you about your breathing and sleeping patterns. Symptoms like feeling tired even after getting enough sleep and waking up at night to gasp for air can indicate a sleep disorder.
Physical examination
Your doctor can use the Mallampati score to check if you have airway obstruction. This process involves the doctor looking at the back of your throat. The Mallampati score categorizes your condition based on how your doctor sees your soft palate and uvula. If these structures are partially or entirely concealed, there are high chances you have airway obstruction.
If the score shows you have airway obstruction, your specialist can recommend you take a sleep study to determine the severity of your problem. You can have a home sleep test or in-lab polysomnography.
Causes of airway obstruction
Obstructive sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome mainly result from airway obstruction. There are many causes of obstructed airways, including the narrow arch, tongue position, narrow airways, scalloped or enlarged tongue, enlarged tonsils, deviated septum, and allergies. If you are obese or overweight, you have a high chance of obstructing airways because excess fat near your airways can block breathing.
Treatment for obstructed airways
Medication
Your doctor can recommend medications to treat airway inflammation or infection. Corticosteroids can help minimize inflammation resulting from asthma, COPD, or bronchitis.
Surgery
Doctors can use minimally invasive surgical methods to open blocked airways. Tracheotomy can help bypass an obstruction. This procedure involves your specialist making a hole in your trachea and inserting a small tube to enable you to breathe. Endoscopic airway opening, a minimally invasive technique, involves your doctor using a laser to remove scar tissue and open your airway. Your specialist can remove a damaged area of your airway or enlarge a blocked section through open airway reconstruction.
Lifestyle changes
If being obese or overweight is causing airway obstruction, losing weight can help relieve airway obstruction. Maintaining a healthy weight can also prevent airway obstruction.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
If your sleep apnea is moderate or severe, CPAP can help. This treatment uses a machine to deliver air pressure through a sleeping mask. The air pressure is greater than the surrounding air and keeps your upper airway open to prevent sleep apnea and snoring. CPAP can be uncomfortable for you in the first days, but your doctor can offer different types of masks to enhance comfort.
Dental airway assessment helps to diagnose and treat sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Treating these conditions can prevent complications in the future like high blood pressure. Schedule an appointment at Chase Dental Sleepcare for dental airway assessment to diagnose sleeping conditions for effective treatment.
