Laser Snoring Treatment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Sleep Foundation recommend that adults get a healthy dose of 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Preschoolers, school-age children, and teenagers should be clocking in about 10 hours of sleep to perform at their best. Sleep gives your body the time it needs to grow, repair, and re-energize. Lack of proper deep sleep starts taking a toll on your body and brain, no matter how old you are. Sleep is when growth hormones are released in children, so less sleep may translate into stunted growth.
At Sleep Treatment Direct, our dental sleep practitioners have been at the forefront of diagnosing and treating snoring and sleep apnea in Southwest Florida. Once we confirm that you or your child has a breathing-related sleep disorder through an evaluation of symptoms, oral structures, and medical history, we can do a simple laser procedure to rectify the issue and help you obtain restful sleep. Performed right here in our office in Bonita Springs, it’s an excellent alternative to more invasive, traumatic surgeries that can sometimes leave lasting scars.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is one of the few sleep disorders that can occur in patients of any age, even infants, although it is more common in adults. It essentially refers to repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. These interruptions, known as apneas, happen when there is a temporary reduction or complete halt in airflow despite an ongoing effort to breathe.
When your body experiences an apnea event, you temporarily stop breathing—this pause may last from 10 seconds to more than a minute. Patients with sleep apnea can experience tens to hundreds of these pauses in a single night. The reason why you stop breathing could be that the soft tissues in your upper airway collapse into themselves, creating a blockage.
How Obstructive Sleep Apnea Affects Children
When children have OSA, the blockage in their airways upsets their normal breathing patterns. The effort to breathe through congested airways causes the tissues in the throat to vibrate, which is why they might snore. At the same time, the struggle to maintain breathing may trigger the jaw to clench and teeth to grind (bruxism).
All these issues prevent the child from getting the quality REM sleep they need. As a result, you may notice them experiencing the following symptoms:
- Snoring or noisy breathing
- Bedwetting
- Night terrors
- Swollen tonsils and adenoids
- Problems with growth or gaining weight
- Complaints of headaches or facial/jaw pain
- Always feeling tired
- Breathing through the mouth instead of the nose (both during the day and at night)
- Struggling to stay awake or pay attention during class (it may look like laziness or boredom)
- Problems completing the homework
- Inability to sit still (it may be mistaken for ADHD)
- Unexplained changes in mood (becoming easily upset or unusually quiet)
- Increased aggression and confrontational behavior with peers or authority figures
- Less interest in social interactions
- A drop in grades or complaints from teachers about a decline in performance or participation
What you may be thinking as an Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder could instead be that your child has a sleep-disordered breathing issue like OSA. Research shows that children who received treatment for sleep apnea showed a 69% improvement in their ADHD symptoms within a month and up to 86% improvement after three months.
At Sleep Treatment Direct, we work with pediatricians across Southwest Florida to provide proper diagnosis and treatment to children suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. If your child is going through any of the signs discussed above, please get in touch with us right away.
Laser Treatment for Snoring: A Safe and Proven Solution
Laser treatment for snoring, also known as laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP), utilizes a controlled, mild laser to tighten and stiffen the soft palate and uvula tissues. The laser emits heat energy that precisely eliminates or reshapes the tissue, reducing the vibration that causes snoring. This procedure may also be used to expand the airway’s size, improving airflow and reducing the obstruction.
Efficacy of Laser Treatment for Snoring
Several clinical studies have assessed the efficacy of laser treatment for snoring. Results generally indicate a considerable improvement in the intensity and frequency of snoring.
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine Study
A research study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty reduced snoring in approximately 80% of patients after three sessions. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of LAUP in significantly reducing the frequency and intensity of snoring and shows the potential of the laser technique as a reliable treatment option for patients with this condition.
Sleep and Breathing Study
Another research study published in the journal Sleep and Breathing reported that 70% of patients experienced a reduction in the severity of snoring, with sustained benefits observed at a follow-up after six months. This study highlights the long-term efficacy of LAUP and demonstrates that the procedure’s benefits can be maintained over an extended period for chronic snorers.
Choose Dental Laser Treatment for Snoring at Sleep Treatment Direct
When your child is dealing with a sleep-related issue, they should first undergo a sleep test. A sleep test gives valuable insights into sleeping patterns and symptoms and helps determine if sleep apnea or another sleep disorder is the cause of the child’s syptoms. We can work directly with you to arrange an at-home sleep study.
Dental laser treatment is one of the most effective treatments we provide for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in children and adults. Our state-of-the-art dental laser operates at a precise wavelength to target and tighten the collagen fibers in the throat’s soft tissues. This non-invasive technology gently applies heat to the affected areas, enhancing the structural integrity of the airway without damaging surrounding tissues.
Although you will see a noticeable reduction in the frequency and volume of snoring after the initial two or three sessions, completing the full course of treatments as recommended is vital to achieving the best results and more sustainable improvements.
Compared to other intensive surgical procedures, our laser-assisted snoring treatment comes with:
Same-day, in-office treatment
No involvement of general anesthesia
No sedation
Minimal downtime
Contrary to what many believe, CPAP or surgery are not your only options. Sleep Treatment Direct’s laser treatments have a track record of excellent safety and patient satisfaction. Contact our office today if you want to learn more or need help setting up an at-home sleep apnea test.