Lloyd F. Moss Jr., D.D.S.
410 Pelham Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

Tel: 540-373-2080

Dental Services

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Snoring & Sleep Apnea

Snoring is way more than annoying…..it could be a sign of a serious problem that you could die from!

Sorry for the dramatic statement, but this is serious. Stay with us while we tell you about it. One of the many things the patients in our practice tell us is that they cannot get a good night’s sleep Because their spouse snores! That is not good, but it is not the most serious problem related to snoring.

Many people that snore also stop breathing and then suddenly gasp for breath…..sometimes many times in an hour of sleep.

THIS IS CALLED OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA, often referred to as OSA, and it can be life threatening!

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a relatively common problem that effects about 20 million people in the USA alone. Most of the time this problem is undiagnosed because most people don’t take snoring seriously. Patients with OSA can stop breathing lots of times during sleep and for periods of more than one minute. This can occur hundreds of times in a night. Most patients deny the problem because they are not aware of it.

During the non- breathing episodes the oxygen level in the blood system falls, sometimes dangerously low. This can lead to many of the daytime symptoms of fatigue, lethargy, drowsiness, morning headaches, poor concentration, memory difficulties, personality change, even possibly depression. If the condition is serious enough it could lead to abnormal heart rhythm, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack or stroke.

We have special interest and training in discovering signs and indications of sleep apnea. We can be very helpful in treating mild to moderate OSA. We are part of a sleep team and work closely with Sleep Physicians that specialize in diagnosing and treating sleep disordered breathing. We work with the doctors at the sleep centers that do the necessary overnight sleep studies to determine the degree of OSA that is present before treatment is initiated. We always partner with sleep physicians to help you with your Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Our office makes an oral appliance that advances the lower jaw during sleep and keeps the airway open for more efficient oxygenation of the blood. Often this is all that is needed to stop the problem. These appliances are very comfortable and easy to wear during sleep. The improvement in restful sleep for the patient , and to say the least, the partner, can be remarkable.

If you are told you snore or stop breathing during sleep, or if your partner does this, please seek help. This problem can be life threatening! DON’T NEGLECT OSA!! IT CAN KILL YOU. Help is as easy as a phone call away, an email, or you can click on CONTACT US or REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT and we will reach out to you.