sleep disorders
Are you waking up tired and sluggish?
Do you snore or have been told you snore? Never seem to have enough energy to attack your day?
Many of the causes of snoring, sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing are due to structural and functional issues within the mouth and nose. Here at Summit Dental, we screen our patients for these issues that can have an effect on your airway and make you more prone to sleep issues. We provide many different treatment options to help you get the sleep you need.
Treatment Options
Occlusal splints are a type of “night guard” designed to relieve the stresses we put on our joints and muscles throughout the day, and particularly at night. The forces we put on our teeth at night, while we sleep, is far greater than throughout the day and can cause significant damage over time. The splint acts as a guard to prevent further damage, as well calm sore muscles and joints.
Splint therapy may also be prescribed during the day if pain is significant, or prior to major restorative work to learn more about a patients’ bite and function.
1 in 5 adults suffer from sleep apnea and 80% of those adults are undiagnosed. Poor sleep and breathing are at epidemic in our society and can be connected to a whole host of other medical conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Quite literally, snoring kills, and Dr. Williams is passionate about helping you sleep and breathe better.
The treatments we offer at Summit Dental are designed to restore normal breathing habits and relieve symptoms of sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnea. CPAP does not have to be your answer for sleep apnea.
Many patients with sleep disordered breathing are chronic mouth breathers. Unfortunately, breathing through the mouth while sleeping can decrease the quality and effectiveness of sleep, leading to feeling unrested and tired when you wake up and throughout the day.
Breathing through your nose releases nitric oxide into your blood stream, which acts as a vasodilator, which opens up the blood vessels and allows oxygen to perfuse more readily to your organs. This allows for the more restful, restorative sleep we all could use.
MAD stands for Mandibular Advancement Devices. These appliances are designed to position the lower jaw forward, pulling the tongue and other soft tissues out of the airway while you sleep. MAD appliances are a great alternative to CPAP in patients with mild and moderate sleep apnea, or those who are intolerant to wearing a CPAP.
Malaligned, or crowded teeth, are caused by an improper development of the upper and lower jaws. The crowding reduces the amount of space the tongue has within the mouth, causing it to invade the space behind it, known as the pharynx, also known as your airway. Limited space within your airway can lead to a whole host of issues, including mouth breathing, sleep apnea, snoring or other types of sleep disordered breathing.
Dr. Williams uses Invisalign®, a clear aligner, to not only correct your crowded teeth for a prettier smile, she also uses the aligners to wide the dental arches, creating more room in your mouth for your tongue. She prefers this over traditional braces in adults due to the intermittent forces that are put on the teeth to help them move. This allows the teeth to move more slowly through the bone, without increasing the length of time in treatment. This also allows for greater ability for expansion of the arches than traditional braces in adults.
Poor breathing can lead to:
- Poor Sleep
- Poor Behavior
- Trouble in School
- Attention problems
- Bed wetting
- Acid reflux
- Crooked teeth
All of these can be attributed to improper development of the structures of the mouth. Proper development greatly reduces the need for orthodontics as teenagers.
Signs of poor breathing can include:
- Mouth breathing – day or night
- Snoring
- Audible breathing
- Restless sleep
- Nightmares or night terrors
- Chapped lips
- Tooth grinding/wear
If your child exhibits any of these signs and symptoms please contact us today!
In infants, these attachments can be too tight and cause feeding issues. These attachments also prevent the tongue from working like it should to swallow, which can cause an excess amount of air to be swallowed, causing acid reflux and “colic”.
Improper muscle attachments to the lips can cause improper development of the arches, causing overactive lip muscles, which can lead to improper development and crowded and crooked teeth.
Many patients with sleep disordered breathing are chronic mouth breathers. Unfortunately, breathing through the mouth while sleeping can decrease the quality and effectiveness of sleep, leading to feeling unrested and tired when you wake up and throughout the day.
Breathing through your nose releases nitric oxide into your blood stream, which acts as a vasodilator, which opens up the blood vessels and allows oxygen to perfuse more readily to your organs. This allows for the more restful, restorative sleep we all could use.
Nasal Breathing vs. Mouth Breathing
1 in 5 adults suffer from sleep apnea and 80% of those adults are undiagnosed. Poor sleep and breathing are at epidemic in our society and can be connected to a whole host of other medical conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Quite literally, snoring kills, and Dr. Williams is passionate about helping you sleep and breathe better.
The treatments we offer at Summit Dental are designed to restore normal breathing habits and relieve symptoms of sleep disordered breathing and sleep apnea. CPAP does not have to be your answer for sleep apnea.
Snoring, Sleep Apnea & Sleep Disorders
Malaligned, or crowded teeth, are caused by an improper development of the upper and lower jaws. The crowding reduces the amount of space the tongue has within the mouth, causing it to invade the space behind it, known as the pharynx, also known as your airway. Limited space within your airway can lead to a whole host of issues, including mouth breathing, sleep apnea, snoring or other types of sleep disordered breathing.
Dr. Williams uses Invisalign®, a clear aligner, to not only correct your crowded teeth for a prettier smile, she also uses the aligners to wide the dental arches, creating more room in your mouth for your tongue. She prefers this over traditional braces in adults due to the intermittent forces that are put on the teeth to help them move. This allows the teeth to move more slowly through the bone, without increasing the length of time in treatment. This also allows for greater ability for expansion of the arches than traditional braces in adults.
Invisalign®
These appliances are designed to position the lower jaw forward, pulling the tongue and other soft tissues out of the airway while you sleep. MAD appliances are a great alternative to CPAP in patients with mild and moderate sleep apnea, or those who are intolerant to wearing a CPAP.
Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD)
- Mouth breathing – day or night
- Snoring
- Audible breathing
- Restless sleep
- Nightmares or night terrors
- Chapped lips
- Tooth grinding/wear
If your child exhibits any of these signs and symptoms please contact us today!
- Poor Sleep
- Poor Behavior
- Trouble in School
- Attention problems
- Bed wetting
- Acid reflux
- Crooked teeth
Pediatric Sleep
Muscle attachments in the mouth can cause a host of problems in even our smallest patients.
In infants, these attachments can be too tight and cause feeding issues. These attachments also prevent the tongue from working like it should to swallow, which can cause an excess amount of air to be swallowed, causing acid reflux and “colic”.
Improper muscle attachments to the lips can cause improper development of the arches, causing overactive lip muscles, which can lead to improper development and crowded and crooked teeth.
Tongue & Lip Ties
Here to help you attain the peak of health.
summit dental
FATMA A.
She was able to get my family in and taken care of, as new patients, within a reasonable amount of time. She is personable and professional. Her staff is friendly and willing to go above and beyond to provide transparency and education for upcoming procedures. I highly recommend Dr. Misty Williams and the Summit Dental staff!
"Dr. Williams is fantastic!
Her staff is friendly and willing to go above and beyond..."
NERMINE E.
Dr. Williams and her staff truly go above and beyond to make sure that they are providing you with the best care and service. Dr. Williams is honest and thorough in her work. Friendly and caring environment. Would highly recommend!
"I’ve never felt more comfortable and well taken care of at a dentist."
CHRISTINA C.
Not only is the Dr/dentist fabulous but she also knows the key to a good office is the people you surround yourself with. I am exceptionally pleased with the work they have done and would recommend anyone to go see them. You will leave smiling for more than one reason.
Her office support makes you so comfortable that you no longer dread or fear going to the dentist.
BRITNI O.
Wonderful staff! Dr. Williams is compassionate and caring! She gives her full attention to her patients and makes sure her patients leave with a smile! Highly recommend. Friendly and clean environment. Makes going to the dentist so much better!
Dr. Williams gives her full attention to her patients and makes sure they leave with a smile!
kind words from our clients
The team in your corner.
Every patient has a different dental journey, and that's why our entire team is dedicated to providing you with excellent, personalized care. We strongly believe a healthy body begins with a healthy mouth. Our comprehensive approach is focused on the overall health of the mouth and surrounding structures, from functionality to aesthetics.
With clear communication at the heart of our practice, we want to help you feel empowered with the tools and knowledge to live a vibrant, joyful life.