If your spouse is tired of your snoring…or you are just plain tired every morning, it might be time to consult with your dentist.

Snoring is at best annoying to anyone who is trying to sleep near you, but it could also be a symptom of a dangerous health condition called obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep Disordered Breathing Can Be Debilitating

If you have sleep apnea, your throat muscles, and tongue collapse onto the back of your throat, block your airway, and make you stop repeatedly breathing all night. When left untreated, sleep apnea can cause excessive daytime fatigue, as well as headaches and memory loss.

Untreated sleep apnea raises your risk for serious health problems, including:

• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Chronic acid reflux
• Erectile dysfunction

Sleep apnea is not a condition that should be left untreated. Many people who snore do not suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, but getting tested is the only way to know for sure.

Snoring or Sleep Apnea? Either Way, We Can Help

A doctor who is a sleep specialist can typically determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea or simple snoring. It is diagnosed through a sleep study, which can take place at home or a sleep center.

Sleep-disordered breathing can happen at different severity levels, and it can impact your sleep and health to various degrees. Here is a short video that provides a visual of what happens when a patient suffers from sleep apnea:

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Whether you need to treat sleep apnea or relieve snoring, we can likely help create a custom dental appliance.

An oral appliance is worn in the mouth only while you sleep and fits like a sports mouthguard or an orthodontic retainer. They support your jaw in a forward position to keep the airway open during sleep, thereby preventing it from collapsing and blocking the normal airflow during breathing.

At Kellerman Dental, we specialize in treating snoring and sleep apnea for our Edwardsville and Glen Carbon area patients using state-of-the-art sleep appliances. If you’re suffering from sleep issues, we’d love to have you in for a consultation to see if we can help.

What Difference Can a Dental Appliance Make in Your Quality of Life?

For many patients, the experience of getting restful sleep for the first time in many years can be a real life-changer. And of course, we hear from many grateful partners who no longer have to suffer through long nights next to a snorer!

Here’s what two recent Kellerman Dental patients shared with us:

Before using the sleep appliance, I was usually exhausted all day long and had to take a nap nearly every day. I would often wake up in the middle of the night feeling like I couldn’t breathe.

The sleep appliance has helped me so much. It took a bit of time to get used to it, and for the first few weeks, I’d wake up with it out of my mouth. At about the third week, I started noticing changes in my sleeping once I started consistently wearing the sleep appliance throughout the night.

I’m sleeping better throughout the night and rarely wake up. It’s pretty comfortable to sleep in now, even though at first it felt big. I have more energy when I first wake up and throughout the day. I’m taking fewer naps, and when I do nap, it’s not for hours but generally less than an hour, usually about 25 minutes. I’ve gotten more done, and my mood has improved.

I’d recommend getting the sleeping appliance if you’re thinking of getting it. It’s been worth the money for me. My husband is also sleeping better since I don’t move around as much as I used to, and I don’t snore at all.

-Elizabeth A.

For some patients, the results can be almost immediate. That was the experience for Layla:

The first time I tried the device at Kellerman Dental’s office, I was skeptical of its effectiveness and not sure I could get used to its bulkiness. However, I gradually got used to wearing it at night, and it made a big difference in the quality of my sleep. I noticed this difference the very first night I tried it on, even though it was only for a few hours.

I woke up refreshed in the morning, and the feeling was something I had not experienced in a very long time. In fact, I had forgotten how it feels to have a normal sleep at night. I used to be tired all day, every day. This device definitely changed my life!

-Lalya F.

We’d love to have you experience the joy of improved sleep! Please contact us today for a consultation.

Dr. Kevin Kellerman is an alumnus of Pinckneyville Community High School, Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, and SIUE School of Dental Medicine from where he obtained his doctorate.

A full-time dental practitioner, he also lectures on various topics. He is affiliated with many professional bodies including the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, American Orthodontic Society, Academy of General Dentistry, American Dental Association, Illinois State Dental Association, and the Glen Carbon/Edwardsville Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Kellerman and team are known for higher levels of service and patient care and for utilizing advanced technologies in treatments. He also participates in community projects and believes in giving back to the community that he serves.

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