Can a Dentist Help Me Sleep Again?

My husband snores incessantly. On the rare occassion he’s not doing that, he’s grinding his teeth. I can’t sleep. I can’t get angry at him either. He’s not doing it on purpose and doesn’t even realize he’s doing it unless I wake him up. I’m at my wit’s end. A friend said a dentist can help with this. If you can’t help me, I’m looking at sleeping in the guest room just to get a decent night’s sleep.

Melanie

Dear Melanie,

woman covering her ears unable to sleep because of her husband's snoring

Yes, a dentist can help you. You won’t need to start moving into the guest bedroom just yet. Your husband has a couple of things going on that’s keeping both of you from getting the rest you need.

How a Dentist Can Help with Snoring

You may have noticed if you turn your husband onto his side he stops snoring. When he’s laying on his back, the tissues in the back of his throat relax, causing the airway in his throat to be partially obstructed. This causes the tissue to vibrate when he breathes. Hence the snoring.

In order to stop the snoring, your dentist can fit your husband with a simple orthotic device which will gently reposition his jaw to open up the air passage enabling him to breathe freely.

How a Dentist Can Help with Teeth Grinding

The teeth grinding is serious and can both destroy his teeth and lead to TMJ Disorder. The grinding can reduce his teeth to nubs, requiring every one of his teeth to be crowned. This is known as a full-mouth reconstruction and can cost upwards of $30,000 or more.

Taking steps now will save your husband’s teeth as well as a small fortune for you guys. Your dentist can fit him with a night guard to protect his teeth from the impact. There is a way your dentist can combine these treatments.

The key will be getting him in to see a dentist.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.