Our dentist and team treat a variety of sleep disorders at Dental Sleep Medicine Hawaii. Dr. Dennis Nagata, who specializes in sleep dentistry, can help you relax at night, so your overall health is not compromised from lack of sleep. If you suffer from a sleep disorder in Honolulu, Hawaii, call us at 808-946-6326 to schedule a visit with us!
While obstructive sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder, there are many others that are categorized by insufficient oxygen intake while you sleep. They can range from bruxism to snoring and TMJ, and they can cause the airway to be partially or completely obstructed during sleep. This reduction of airflow is called hypopnea, and the full stop of breathing called apnea. These disorders can be caused by a number of interlacing factors such as obesity, craniofacial abnormalities, lifestyle choices and family history.
Each sleep disorder is correlated to each other since each can appear as a symptom of the other. All combine to restrict the airway in some shape or form and result, overall, in the same symptoms, most significantly, the lack of sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to a poor quality of life so that you are constantly battling ailments like hypersomnia (daytime fatigue), difficulty falling asleep at night (insomnia), lack of energy, mood swings and irritability, and difficulty with memory or concentrating.
Such abnormal respiratory patterns from sleep disorders inhibit your body from properly resting and can cause stress on your nervous system and major organs over time. If you suffer from a sleep disorder, we highly suggest that you treat it quickly so that your health and quality of life is not diminished. Symptoms of untreated sleep disorders include:
- High blood pressure
- Problems with the respiratory and digestive systems
- Problems with the immune system and central nervous system
- Daytime fatigue and impaired memory
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Weight gain
- Hormone production
- Increased risk of diabetes and heart disease
- Depression, anxiety and mood swings
- Poor balance
If you have a sleep disorder, we encourage you to come to Dental Sleep Medicine Hawaii to see Dr. Nagata, who can perform a sleep study to help diagnose your symptoms. Then he can work with you to customize a treatment plan to get you resting again and back on your feet. Treatments are offered in the form of oral appliances, a CPAP machine or, in the special case of Dr. Nagata, laser therapy to help lift and constrict your soft palate. Depending on the severity of your case, you may be recommended to overlap these treatments in order to reform your oral structure to help your airway stay open at night.
Call us today if you would like Dr. Dennis Nagata to improve your quality of life by helping you get a better night’s sleep. We can provide the treatment you need to improve your health and give you your best quality of life. Speak with one of our team members to schedule your sleep study with us today!