What is the cause of snoring?
Snoring is caused by things such as your tongue, mouth, throat or airways in your nose vibrating as you breathe.
It happens because these parts of your body relax and narrow when you’re asleep.
You’re more likely to snore if you:
- are overweight
- smoke
- drink too much alcohol
- sleep on your back
Sometimes it’s caused by a condition like sleep apnoea, which is when your airways become temporarily blocked as you sleep.
Preventing snoring
Simple lifestyle changes can help stop or reduce snoring:
- try to lose weight if you’re overweight
- sleep on your side – try taping a tennis ball to the back of your sleepwear, or buy a special pillow or bed wedge to help keep you on your side
Can dental services help with snoring?
Snoring can be a serious issue with consequences ranging from lack of sleep to breakdowns in relationships. You might be pleased to know that dentistry may have a solution for you. A series of oral devices or mouthpieces are now available and can be fitted by a dentist that will address your snoring problems by preventing the lower jaw from dropping back during sleep thereby preventing the closure of your airways, which will stop you from snoring.
The247dentist can help identify whether you may benefit from one of these devices and arrange for you to see a dentist who can custom-make the device for your mouth.