Many people wake up with frequent headaches. If you have experienced debilitating headaches for long, you have no doubt brought up the problem with your doctor, possibly without success. What you may not have thought of is mentioning your headaches to your dentist. In fact, in many cases headaches are actually a dental issue: sleep apnea.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common condition in which the airway is blocked during sleep, often by the muscles of the throat collapsing. It is particularly prominent amongst heavy people but affects millions of Americans of all types. It is considered a serious condition that affects not just your dental health but your overall wellbeing. Sleep apnea interrupts the flow of oxygen to the brain and can interrupt your sleep, causing gasping, fatigue, depression, irritability, and chronic headaches. If over-the-counter medicines do nothing to take the edge off your pain, you may want to ask your dentist about sleep apnea

Treating Sleep Apnea

Fuller Dental is uniquely equipped to deal with your sleep apnea: as a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Dr. Jamie Jo Peterson is familiar with the newest innovations in sleep disorder treatment. When most people think of sleep apnea, they might be most familiar with CPAP machines. While these machines may be necessary for the most severe sleep apnea cases, many patients can effectively treat their problems with an oral appliance. Oral appliance therapy uses a device like a mouth guard that is worn at night. It repositions the jaw to naturally keep your airway clear. The appliance is a comfortable, convenient, discrete, and highly effective solution for many people.

Schedule a Consultation

Have you struggled to treat the symptoms common to sleep apnea? Fuller Dental is equipped to diagnose and treat this common disorder and help get you back on track to good sleep and headache-free days. To schedule a consultation, contact our Burlington, NC office on our website or at (336) 290-7401.