Advanced Dental Solutions of Pittsburgh Blog

Santa, Christmas dinner, opening presents with family, oral surgery – wait, that last one isn’t known to be part of the holiday season, is it? Known or not, sometimes it’s necessary. While it may be inconvenient, especially when preparing to gather with family and friends, there are ways you can continue to heal successfully while also having fun. Here are tips from your dentist in Pittsburgh to keep in mind as you spend time with loved ones and recover from oral surgery to achieve a healthier smile.

If you wake up feeling groggy and unrested most mornings, there’s a chance you could be suffering from sleep apnea! This condition affects millions of patients, and unfortunately, its cause isn’t always easily discernable as there are often many different factors at work. However, one known contributing factor is anxiety; sure enough, feeling stressed, anxious, or tense at night can physically prevent your body from getting the rest it needs. Here’s more from your dentist about the link between sleep apnea and anxiety, along with some tips to help you get back to bed.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common types of sleep apnea and is characterized by blockage in your airway while you’re asleep. When it happens, your body is forced to wake up and normalize your breathing pattern, causing you to miss out on much-needed sleep! That said, this condition is quite serious and can lead to some severe health complications if left untreated. But does it ever simply go away on its own? Here’s more about sleep apnea and what can cause the condition, whether or not it can go away on its own, and what you can do to improve your symptoms.

Sleep apnea is an epidemic! Every night, millions of people miss out on countless hours of sleep because of the condition—and even worse, many more cases go completely undiagnosed! But before you can receive a diagnosis and receive sleep apnea therapy, you might have to undergo an at-home sleep apnea test. Here’s what you can expect throughout this process and some things you can do to prepare yourself for it.

Are you battling daily fatigue? Is your partner sleeping in another room because of your snoring? You may have sleep apnea, a condition that causes frequent pauses in breathing from an obstruction in the upper airway. It results from the soft tissues in the back of the mouth or tongue collapsing, which narrows the airway. Unfortunately, a bad night’s rest isn’t the only complication of the disorder. You can be at risk of life-threatening health issues without any treatment. Your physician will set up a sleep study to confirm the condition, but they may also ask you to start a diary. A sleep diary can be invaluable when creating a personalized plan to help you breathe better.

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Like most people, you probably feel pumped up and excited for summer activities. There’ll be vacations, barbeques, festivals, and more! It’s enough to think that nothing about the season could ruin your mood. However, it would help if you kept in mind that summer can hurt sleep quality. Even if you’re living it up during these dog days, you might be tossing and turning at night. Therefore, your local sleep dentist is here to offer some advice. Read on to learn why this season can conflict with sleep and three ways to overcome the problem.