Sleep apnea is more than just loud snoring; it’s a serious sleep disorder that can affect your health, energy levels, and quality of life. When your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, your body doesn’t receive the oxygen it needs to function at its best. Over time, untreated sleep apnea can contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, chronic fatigue, and other serious health concerns.
At Be Dental, we understand how sleep apnea can impact your daily life. If you struggle with chronic snoring, daytime fatigue, or have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, our team can help you explore comfortable treatment options that support healthier, more restful sleep. Whether you’re looking for answers about your symptoms or searching for an alternative to traditional sleep apnea treatment in Manhasset and North Bellmore, NY, we’re here to help you take the first step toward better sleep and better overall health.
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that causes your breathing to repeatedly stop and restart while you sleep. These interruptions, known as apneas, may last several seconds and can occur dozens or even hundreds of times throughout the night.
Each pause in breathing briefly wakes your brain, allowing you to reopen your airway, even if you don’t remember waking up. As a result, your sleep becomes fragmented, preventing your body from reaching the deep, restorative stages of sleep that are essential for physical and mental health.
Sleep apnea often develops gradually, making it easy to dismiss the symptoms as stress, aging, or poor sleep habits. Many people don’t realize they have sleep apnea until a loved one notices changes in their breathing during the night. You may be experiencing sleep apnea if you have any of the following symptoms:
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of the condition. It occurs when the muscles at the back of the throat relax during sleep, partially or completely blocking the airway. As airflow decreases, oxygen levels drop, triggering the brain to briefly wake you so normal breathing can resume.
Central sleep apnea is less common and occurs when the brain fails to send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, the airway isn’t blocked—instead, breathing temporarily stops because of a communication problem between the brain and the body.
Also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, this condition combines features of both obstructive and central sleep apnea and may develop during treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
While anyone can develop sleep apnea in Manhasset and North Bellmore, NY, understanding your risk factors can help you take proactive steps toward better health. Several factors can increase your risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, including:
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that affects far more than your sleep, causing repeated interruptions in breathing that reduce oxygen levels and prevent your body from getting the restorative rest it needs. Left untreated, it has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health conditions, while also contributing to daytime fatigue, poor concentration, and mood changes.
These ongoing symptoms can affect your overall quality of life and increase the risk of workplace and motor vehicle accidents due to excessive sleepiness. With the right diagnosis and treatment at Be Dental, you can improve your sleep, restore your energy, and protect your long-term health.
For some patients with mild sleep apnea, lifestyle changes may help reduce symptoms and improve sleep quality. Losing excess weight, sleeping on your side instead of your back, avoiding alcohol and sedatives before bedtime, and quitting smoking can all help keep the airway more open during sleep.
While these changes alone may not eliminate sleep apnea, they are often recommended as part of a comprehensive treatment plan to support better overall health and complement other therapies.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is considered the gold standard for treating moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP machine delivers a steady stream of pressurized air through a mask worn over the nose or mouth, helping to keep the airway open throughout the night and prevent breathing interruptions.
Although highly effective, some patients find the mask or machine uncomfortable, making it difficult to use consistently. In these cases, alternative treatment options may be recommended based on the patient’s needs and the physician’s guidance.
For many patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea or those who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy, a custom oral appliance can be an effective alternative. Similar to a mouthguard, this custom-made device is worn while sleeping and gently repositions the lower jaw to help keep the airway open and reduce breathing interruptions.
Oral appliances are comfortable, portable, easy to care for, and custom-designed to fit your smile. At Be Dental, we work closely with your physician to provide custom oral appliance therapy as part of a coordinated approach to managing sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that affects far more than your sleep, causing repeated interruptions in breathing that reduce oxygen levels and prevent your body from getting the restorative rest it needs. Left untreated, it has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health conditions, while also contributing to daytime fatigue, poor concentration, and mood changes.
These ongoing symptoms can affect your overall quality of life and increase the risk of workplace and motor vehicle accidents due to excessive sleepiness. With the right diagnosis and treatment at Be Dental, you can improve your sleep, restore your energy, and protect your long-term health.
While snoring is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Sleep apnea causes repeated interruptions in breathing that reduce oxygen levels and disrupt healthy sleep, whereas snoring alone does not necessarily indicate a medical condition.
In most cases, no. Although lifestyle changes such as weight loss may improve symptoms for some individuals, sleep apnea typically requires professional evaluation and treatment.
No. Sleep apnea must be diagnosed by a physician through a sleep study. However, dentists trained in dental sleep medicine can provide custom oral appliance therapy for eligible patients after diagnosis.
Yes. Untreated sleep apnea has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, irregular heartbeat, memory problems, and excessive daytime fatigue that can increase the risk of accidents.
Some of the earliest signs include loud snoring, waking up gasping for air, morning headaches, dry mouth, daytime fatigue, poor concentration, and feeling unrested despite sleeping through the night.
Anyone can develop sleep apnea, but your risk increases if you’re overweight, over the age of 40, have a family history of sleep apnea, smoke, consume alcohol before bedtime, or have a naturally narrow airway.
No. While CPAP is considered the gold standard for many patients, treatment options also include lifestyle changes, surgery in certain cases, and custom oral appliance therapy for qualified patients.
Many medical insurance plans cover the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, including oral appliance therapy for eligible patients. Coverage varies by provider and plan, and our team can help answer questions about your benefits.
