Snoring and the Dentist's Role
Snoring is caused by muscle relaxation in the throat during sleep, leading to vibrations when inhaling. It's more common in men and can cause social issues, dry mouth, fatigue, and risk of sleep apnea. Treatment includes weight loss, altered sleeping positions, and oral appliances.
Table of contents
This article is based on an original article in Swedish which can be found here
BACKGROUND
Snoring can cause social problems, such as disturbing a partner, but can also trouble the snorer themselves. During sleep, there is a relaxation of the throat tissue which can cause the airway to collapse, as the soft structure lacks cartilage. The snoring sound occurs when a negative pressure is created in the airways during inhalation, and as the passage becomes narrower, the airflow increases and vibrations occur in the movable parts of the throat. The sound can reach such high dB levels that it can be likened to the sound of a motorcycle. Snoring can cause vibration damage to the throat tissue.
Read more about Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, OSAS, in a special article.
Prevalence
Snoring is twice as common in men as in women. More than half of all men over 40 snore occasionally, and 10-15% of these snore regularly. Women have a lower prevalence before menopause, but this increases temporarly during pregnancy. The prevalence of snoring in middle-aged men is up to 44% and in middle-aged women up to 28%.
Etiology
The causes of snoring are multifactorial but can be due to, for example, overweight, sleeping position – supine position, anatomical – narrow upper airways, low muscle tone in the upper airways, large soft palate, hanging uvula, retrognathic mandible, obstructive nasal breathing, and certain medications/alcohol that increase relaxation of the muscles in the airways during sleep.
