Millions of Americans suffer with sleep apnea, and many more are diagnosed with this condition every day. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports that more than 10 million people in our nation have been diagnosed with the disease, and many more don’t even know they have it. Sleep apnea is on the rise in the U.S., for reasons still largely unknown to the medical community. Many people know that sleep apnea complications can be serious, but did you know that your sleep apnea is likely affecting the health of your teeth? So, what exactly is sleep apnea? Is it really that serious? And just how does sleep apnea affect teeth? Dental offices and throughout the country recommend that all Americans educate themselves on this medical condition in order to contain its complications.
Millions of people in the United States today suffer from sleep apnea, and many of them don’t even know it. In fact, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, upwards of 12 million people in the U.S. have from sleep apnea. That means that about 1 in 20 people throughout the country suffer from sleep apnea, with many of them not even being aware of their medical condition. The problem, of course, with not knowing is the serious complications that can occur due to this disorder with no preventive measures being taken. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that can cause its sufferers to stop breathing while they’re sleeping, with incidents of breathing cessation occurring up to 100 times per night. One of the little known consequences of sleep apnea is its effects on oral health, which can be serious.