Can snoring be treated?

Yes! There are numerous ways to help reduce or eliminate snoring - from surgical procedures to oral dental appliances. Often times snoring can be associated with a more serious condition called sleep apnea. This is where you can briefly stop breathing while sleeping due to a blockage in your airway. A sleep study can help confirm if you have sleep apnea.

Surgical techniques are available to remove this excess tissue, but with moderate success, about 20 to 40 percent. Dentists, with their knowledge of the oral cavity, are best equipped to create devices that move the lower jaw into a forward position, increasing the airway space and reducing the velocity and noise from snoring with success rates of seventy to a hundred percent.

Yes. There are a variety of ways to treat snoring, from minimally invasive, office based procedures to oral appliances to surgical removal of tissue. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages, so patients should explore several options before embarking on a treatment plan. Snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which is a significant health concern. Accordingly, I feel that a medical doctor, preferably one trained in sleep disordered breathing, should evaluate patients for snoring.