Surgery Options to Reduce Snoring
In addition to being bothersome to other people trying to sleep at the same time, chronic snoring can disrupt sleep and relationships. It could even suggest a sleep disorder of the upper airway․ While many people are satisfied with lifestyle changes‚ oral appliances‚ or other non-surgical treatments‚ surgery could be considered if these treatments have not been successful․
Surgery for snoring is used to relieve an obstructed airway by addressing the structures responsible for the obstruction․ The best surgical procedure depends on which part or parts of the upper airway are obstructed‚ such as the soft palate‚ the uvula‚ the tongue‚ or the nasal passages․ It is imperative that the dentist examine you thoroughly because anatomical differences dictate what the best treatment for your snoring is․
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is the most common type of surgical treatment․ Its purpose is to reduce or relocate tissue in the throat, including portions of the soft palate and the uvula, to increase the size of the airway passage. When the air has more room to flow, there is less resistance to the moving air. The tissue will not move with each breath, stopping the snoring sound․ UPPP is best used when snoring is caused by obstruction of the soft tissue at the back of the throat․
Alternatively‚ radiofrequency tissue reduction‚ a less intrusive technique‚ may be used to shrink and stiffen the soft palate or tongue․ The stiffer and less floppy the tissue‚ the less it is likely to vibrate and the less likely it is to cause snoring․ Recovery is often short‚ as the method is less intrusive than a wide range of other surgeries․
Laser-assisted surgical procedures may also be used to treat the tissues that collapse‚ removing or reshaping parts of the soft palate with a laser as part of a surgical procedure․ It may benefit those who snore‚ but the effectiveness of the treatment depends on the cause of the snoring․
If nasal obstruction is contributing to the patient’s snoring, then nasal surgery may be appropriate‚ as obstructive problems of the nose‚ such as a deviated septum and nasal polyps‚ may be related to sleep disorders․ If any conditions are present‚ correcting them may reduce nasal obstruction and snoring severity․ In some cases‚ nasal surgery is combined with other treatment methods for best results․
Some procedures are directed at the tongue or the lower airway․ If the tongue is causing obstruction to the airway during sleep, a surgical procedure may be used to reduce tissue or reposition the tongue․ Such treatments are usually reserved for carefully selected cases after a thorough investigation․
Finding the cause of the airway obstruction is crucial to the successful treatment of the condition‚ and procedures that work well in one person may not work well in another․ A careful history‚ and sometimes a sleep study‚ is often necessary to determine whether surgery is appropriate․
If you have more questions about snoring appliances or how they could affect your dental health, make an appointment with the dentist to see if a snoring appliance is the best treatment plan for you.
Related Article: Do Dental Appliances work for Snoring?