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Snoring, Sleep Apnea &

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Suffering from snoring or sleep apnea?

Snoring, Sleep Apnea & Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

image displaying human health signs of OSA obstructive sleep apnea

Millions of people snore. However, a certain number of those millions of people are actually suffering harm to their health every night they spend snoring. That’s because the root cause of their snoring can actually be sleep apnea which is causing stress and poor function all night long. 


What is sleep apnea? It’s a sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing stops and restarts repeatedly. When the breathing stops, the oxygen levels in the person’s blood begin to drop quickly. While still asleep, the person begins to struggle to breathe. Finally, the body may choke and gasp and the sleeper will partially wake up. They’ll take a deep breath or two and fall back into sleep, only to repeat the process seconds or minutes later. It’s impossible to get a good night’s sleep when this is happening all night. 


The gasping, choking struggle to breathe is the most severe manifestation of sleep apnea. Other individuals may not show such a severe struggle. The evidence that sleep apnea treatment is needed is a measurement of the person’s oxygen levels during sleep. Using a nighttime monitoring device, it can be determined how often and how seriously the person’s oxygen levels fall during sleep. Depending on how many times they fall per hour, the person’s level of sleep apnea can be diagnosed and the right treatment can be recommended. 

Health professionals don’t use unfamiliar words just to confuse patents. Apnea is a Greek word meaning the lack of or want of breath. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes a person to stop breathing during the night, until that want of breath (apnea) forces them awake to take a breath. It can have a number of causes, including the condition of the muscles at the back of the throat, the size of the tongue, the tongue’s position during sleep and the size and position of the jaw.


Such situations can lead to obstruction of the airway during the night. Since breathing is a good thing, airway obstruction is something to be avoided.


Seriously. Sleep apnea, and the oxygen shortages it creates, have been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression and other conditions.

Another life-threatening danger of sleep apnea is the lack of quality sleep that accompanies it. People with apnea often find themselves exceptionally tired during the day, which can lead to falling asleep at the wheel of a vehicle.

Featured Video:

Top 5 Signs You May Have Sleep Apnea

5 Signs of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is not something you can self-diagnose. As a matter of fact, self-diagnosis isn’t a good idea, in general. But there are signs to watch out for:

  • Waking up With a Dry Mouth

    If you tend to wake up desperate for some water, either first thing in the morning or during the night. You may be sleeping with your mouth open. There are other reasons for sleeping that way, but one of them might be because you’re having trouble getting enough air.

  • Tiredness and Headaches

    If you tend to wake up with headaches or feel sleepy all the time, the struggle to get air into your lungs at night could be the culprit. If your airway becomes blocked during deep sleep, your body will wake you with a start in order to get air into your lungs. That means spending more time in lighter levels of sleep and less time in the more refreshing deeper levels.

  • Jaw and Tooth Pain

    Some people with apnea tend to grind their teeth while straining to get air into their lungs. It’s not an apnea signal in and of itself, but can be a telltale sign letting you know to watch for other indicators.

  • Waking up Gasping

    This is a fairly easy-to-recognize indicator. If you literally wake up choking for lack of air during the night, get to your doctor right away.

  • Snoring…Louuuud Snoring

    If your family tells you that your snoring sounds like a poorly-tuned diesel truck engine, one likely reason for it is that your tongue is relaxing too far back in your throat during sleep and blocking your airway.

One more thing! It’s very possible to have sleep apnea and not even know that your sleep is being interrupted. There are people who sleep soundly, but not necessarily well. If you seem to be sleeping straight through the night, yet experience fatigue and sleepiness during the day, it’s worth it to have yourself checked for sleep apnea.

Featured Video: An Introduction to Sleep Apnea

Featured Video:

An Introduction to Sleep Apnea

Causes of Sleep Apnea

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but the causes of sleep apnea include:

  • Weight

    Obesity significantly raises the risk of sleep apnea; being overweight, however, does not automatically indicate sleep apnea.

  • Neck Size

    A thicker neck can mean a narrower airway.

  • Being a Guy

    Sleep apnea is twice as likely in men than in women.

  • Age

    Older people are much more likely to have sleep apnea.

  • Family History

    If there’s sleep apnea in your family, your risk can be higher.

  • Alcohol and Certain Medications

    Substances that cause the muscles in your throat to relax can lead to airway obstruction.

  • Smoking

    Yet another health risk that is increased by smoking; inflaming the airway is never a good idea.

  • Nasal Congestion

    If you have a condition that makes breathing through the nose difficult, your likelihood of sleep apnea is higher.

How Come Dentists Can Treat Sleep Apnea?

What does sleep apnea have to do with dentistry? A lot, as a matter of fact. Dental issues can be among the first signs of it. Only a medical doctor can accurately diagnose sleep apnea, but your dentist is well qualified to let you know that you should get yourself checked.


For instance, if your dentist notices that you’ve taken to grinding your teeth at night, you may be doing that in your sleep due to the stress of trying to breath during a sleep apnea episode. The grinding is part of your body’s effort to wake you up in order to take a breath.


Worn teeth, broken teeth, inflamed and receding gums are some of the signs of grinding, along with an increase in cavities (a sign of grinding-related tooth damage that allows bacteria into the tooth). 


Those may not be the only signs of sleep apnea. If members of your household tend to joke about your house-rocking snoring, that snoring can be an important indicator of sleep apnea.

What Dentists Do About Sleep Apnea

If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, a CPAP machine that essentially forces you to breathe normally is the most common prescription. But in cases of mild to moderate apnea, a dental appliance might also be tried.


Appliances are also a potential solution for chronic snorers whose doctors determine that their snoring isn’t apnea-related. Without a diagnosis of apnea, it can be very expensive to get a CPAP machine, even if it might alleviate the inconveniences of snoring.


Appliances your dentist might suggest include:

  • Mandibular Adjustment Device (MAD)

    “Mandibular” refers to the “mandible,” which is your jaw bone. Through a careful set of measurements and the taking of impression molds, your dentist will have a device made for you that looks a bit like two sports mouth-guards connected at the back by a hinged bar on either side of the mouth. The angle of those hinged bars causes the lower jaw, and long with it the tongue, to be pushed forward, so that the tongue can’t relax into a position where it obstructs the airway.


    Learn More

  • Tongue Stabilizing Devices

    You may smile a bit when you first see one of these, but they’re very effective. They look a bit like a baby’s pacifier protruding from your mouth! Also known as a tongue retaining mouthpiece, this device literally holds your tongue outside your mouth through the course of the night. It is essentially a silicone tube that uses suction to hold the tongue, while extensions on either side of the tube hold the device outside the mouth.

Dr. Maryam Seifi, DDS, D.ASBA

Diplomate of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy & Qualified Dentist of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine

Dr. Maryam Seifi, an award-winning dentist, has been serving the community’s dental needs for thirty years. She is highly trained and experienced in general, cosmetic and sleep dentistry. Dr. Seifi is also a Diplomate of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy, and a Qualified Dentist of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, the foremost authority in this field.


Loved and respected by patients and doctors alike, Dr. Seifi is a past winner of the National Doctors’ Choice Award and has earned the title “Super Doctor” due to her five-star-rating average. She has been featured on national television networks including NBC, ABC and Fox and featured in the national newspaper USA Today.

Dr. Maryam Seifi, DDS, D.ASBA

Diplomate of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy & Qualified Dentist of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine

Dr. Maryam Seifi, an award-winning dentist, has been serving the community’s dental needs for thirty years. She is highly trained and experienced in general, cosmetic and sleep dentistry. Dr. Seifi is also a Diplomate of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy, and a Qualified Dentist of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, the foremost authority in this field.


Loved and respected by patients and doctors alike, Dr. Seifi is a past winner of the National Doctors’ Choice Award and has earned the title “Super Doctor” due to her five-star-rating average. She has been featured on national television networks including NBC, ABC and Fox and featured in the national newspaper USA Today.

What Our Patients Are Saying About Us

When I started treatment with Dr. Seifi, my sleep test results had me in the severe sleep apnea category. I recently did an updated sleep test and my sleep apnea index went down by 18%. I do feel the difference in my quality of sleep. I feel a lot better when I wake up in the morning!

- Shawn K.

★★★★★

"StarBrite is an excellent office.  They do a really good job of making sure you understand your sleep apnea and what can be done to help you live a C-Pap free life.  I have my appliance and I couldn't be happier!"

- William P.

★★★★★

"I am in the middle of my service with and am very happy with my experience so far.  I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and TMJ.  I am getting results and noticing big changes! Looking forward to the final result."

- Hans H.

★★★★★

Learn More About Treatment for Snoring & Sleep Apnea

When Dr. Seifi learned about the ground-breaking treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, she opened a second practice devoted to relieving orthodontic and sleep-disordered breathing issues with this new revolutionary treatment. That practice is called Breath of Life Dental (BOLD) and is located next door to her current dental practice in Rockville, MD. We invite you to browse the BOLD site for much more information on this ground-breaking new treatment for snoring and sleep apnea and its unparalleled results in sleep-disordered breathing including sleep apnea and much more. 

For More Information on Snoring & Sleep Apnea Treatment Visit Breath of Life Dental

Learn More About Treatment for Snoring

& Sleep Apnea

When Dr. Seifi learned about the ground-breaking treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, she opened a second practice devoted to relieving orthodontic and sleep-disordered breathing issues with this new revolutionary treatment. That practice is called Breath of Life Dental (BOLD) and is located next door to her current dental practice in Rockville, MD. We invite you to browse the BOLD site for much more information on this ground-breaking new treatment for snoring and sleep apnea and its unparalleled results in sleep-disordered breathing including sleep apnea and much more. 

For More Information on Snoring & Sleep Apnea Treatment Visit Breath of Life Dental

Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Seifi

Whether you know you need to know more about snoring or sleep apnea solutions or simply want to know how this ground-breaking new technology can help you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Seifi. She will consult with you in detail about your issues and your objectives and take any needed x-rays. If it is determine treatment is needed, Dr. Seifi will present you an exact treatment plan centered around how you can attain your health goals.


Book your consultation today! Call StarBrite Dental at (301) 770-1070 or use our online scheduling form.

*We DO NOT ACCEPT HMO Insurance, State Insurance, Medicaid/Medicare, or discount plans. Fees apply for services. 

Evening and Weekend Hours Available

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Office (301) 770-1070

Fax (301) 770-0544

New Patient 24hr Emergency Line:

(301) 377-2186

Existing Patient 24hr Emergency Line:

(240) 832 1606

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