Your father taught you how to ride a bike. He showed you how to throw (and catch) a ball. He offered advice as you navigated more setbacks than you can remember.

There’s no way you can repay him for everything he’s done.

This Father’s Day, you want to help him get something that shows how much you appreciate him. You want to get something that he can’t find at a store — deep, healthy sleep.

As amazing as your father is, you couldn’t help noticing his loud and seemingly endless snoring whenever he falls asleep. This has gotten worse as he’s gotten older, too.

That snoring could be a clue that your dad could have sleep apnea or another sleep-disordered breathing problem that could be affecting the quality of his sleep each night.

If you live in or near Highland Township, MI, Dr. James LoCascio may be able to help. At Highland Advanced Dental Care, we offer treatments to help patients like your dad overcome sleep apnea and snoring.

Take a moment to answer the questions in our sleep apnea quiz. Then, schedule a consultation with us by calling248-329-3552.

Give the Gift That Changes Lives

You know that your dad has plenty of stuff. With each passing year, it becomes harder and harder to find a something that he doesn’t already have.

With sleep apnea or snoring treatment, you could give your dad something else. You could give him a better night’s sleep. You could help him wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning.

You could give your father a better quality of life.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which someone stops breathing when he falls asleep. This can happen hundreds of times every night. While the person with this condition may not be aware if, when, or how often this is happening, it can have a profound effect on their daily lives.

Health experts say that deep sleep plays an important role in helping us recover from our day-to-day activities and in how we heal from illnesses.

When someone has untreated sleep apnea, that person is more likely to have high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Sleep apnea also causes sleep deprivation, which can more than double the likelihood that someone will be involved in a car accident.

Healthy sleep involves four stages. The first two stages are considered light sleep. This is when we are just falling asleep and when our bodies start preparing for deep sleep.

In deep sleep, our brain patterns change along with things like our breathing patterns and heart rate. As part of deep sleep, we also experience REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is the stage when people are most likely to dream.

For people with obstructive sleep apnea (the most common type of this sleep disorder), their airways become constricted by soft tissues. As they fall asleep, the muscles around their airways relax, allowing those tissues to block the airway.

As the airway opening becomes smaller and smaller, snoring can become louder and louder. That is until the airway closes completely, and the person’s snoring and breathing stop.

People with sleep apnea will wake up long enough to take a few breaths before drifting off and starting this cycle again. This also means they rarely stay asleep long enough to get the deep sleep that their bodies need.

Oral Appliance Therapy

For many years, the only real treatment for sleep apnea was CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or similar machine. These work by pushing air into someone’s mouth, nose, or both to keep their airway open while they sleep.

While these machines can be effective, but some studies suggest that as many as half of all CPAP users quit using their machines within a year after having one prescribed. In other words, a lot of people with CPAP machines aren’t using them like they should, and therefore, they aren’t really treating their condition.

Thankfully there is an alternative treatment option. Oral appliances have been approved as a first-line sleep apnea treatment for people with mild and moderate sleep apnea. These appliances also have been approved as a treatment for people with severe sleep apnea who can’t or won’t use a CPAP machine.

We can make one of these appliances for your father. It can help him get the deep sleep that he needs, and it can reduce or eliminate his snoring.

A Comfortable Solution For Sleep Apnea Treatment

Each oral appliance is custom-made for sleep apnea treatment. This is so it can be as comfortable as possible wear while that patient is trying to sleep.

CPAP machines, when used correctly, use air pressure to force airways to stay open. Oral appliances work in a different way. They change the position of a patient’s jaw, moving it forward slightly.

This change in position helps to prevent soft tissues from blocking the airway so your father (and other patients) can continue breathing. This allows them to remain asleep, so they can get the deep, healthy sleep they need to feel refreshed in the morning.

The oral appliance also has the added advantage of being much easier to transport than a CPAP machine. Your dad could put his oral appliance in a pocket-sized case to bring with him on your next family vacation or camping trip.

Better Sleep is a Gift That Keeps on Giving

Sleep apnea doesn’t just affect the person with that condition. It also affects the people who care about that person.

By helping your dad get the deep, healthy sleep that he needs, he could stay awake the next time he wants to watch his favorite team on television. He can have the energy to play with his grandkids. And he can be more alert when you’re asking his advice about the next big decision in your life.

Dr. LoCascio and our team at Highland Advanced Dental Care would love to be able to help patients like your dad feel more rested and alert.

To learn more or to request an appointment at our Highland Township, MI dentist office, fill out our online form or call at 248-329-3552 today.