Many people wonder why their ear, nose, and throat doctor hears about their snoring only to turn them over to their dentist. Snoring happens in the throat. A medical doctor of some specialty or a general practitioner should be able to treat it, yes? Why should people see a dentist in Wood Dale? Here’s why.
What is Snoring?
When something is cut off but needs to escape, it makes a sound. Think of holding a balloon full of air and then letting the air out slowly. It makes a sound like blowing a raspberry. The body realizes it isn’t breathing during sleep due to the collapse of throat tissues, so it forcibly draws breath into the throat. Snoring is the sound this process makes.
How Does Snoring Affect the Mouth?
When the mouth is open and the throat is snoring, the mouth becomes dry. Saliva is necessary to clean bacteria and food remnants from the teeth and gums. Saliva is also needed to cleanse the teeth, gums, and tongue of dead cells that have accumulated during the day. Without saliva, tooth decay and gum disease like gingivitis accelerate. This requires a dentist in Wood Dale to repair it.
What’s the Answer?
Dentists give snoring patients dental appliances with which to keep the airways open. These resemble a sports appliance or a dental retainer like those used with braces. The object of the exercise is to keep the jaw positioned forward. This way, the throat tissues remain in place instead of collapsing onto the back of the throat. When the airway is clear, you can breathe normally without snoring.
Anything Else?
Weight loss and ending the use of alcohol and tobacco have been shown to help people stop snoring. Sleeping on the side of your body also helps control or stop snoring. Contact Dr. Brian Homann, DDS, at www.elkgrovevillageildentist.com to learn more about the causes of snoring and its remedies.
