Snoring, waking with a dry mouth, mornings that feel like you never slept, a jaw that aches by the afternoon. They seem like separate problems, but they are often linked to how air moves through your airway, day and night. At our Gisborne Road clinic, an airway assessment is where we start working out which applies to you.
Not because it doesn't bother anyone, but because it creeps up slowly, and few people think of the dentist as the place to mention it. It's also common: Victoria's Better Health Channel estimates that around 20% of the population snores at night (page reviewed August 2014) and that about 5% of Australians have sleep apnoea (page reviewed October 2021).
Worth knowing first. Gasping or pauses in breathing during sleep need a medical assessment, not only a dental one. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a medical condition, diagnosed by a sleep physician after a sleep study, not by a dentist.
We can tell you whether that looks like the right next step, so you can raise it with your doctor. We don't diagnose sleep apnoea or treat its moderate to severe forms, and we won't pretend otherwise.
If you already use CPAP under a physician's care, you're well looked after there. We're still happy to help with anything dental that supports your plan.
One works on the tissue that vibrates. The other works on the muscles and breathing habits behind it. Which suits you depends on what is driving the problem, and finding that out is what the assessment is for.
When the snoring itself is what you want to fix. We work out where the noise is coming from, whether a sleep study is needed, and whether NightLase laser treatment or a custom oral appliance suits you.
When mouth breathing, tongue posture and the way you swallow are part of the picture, often behind jaw ache and grinding too. It combines a soft removable appliance with daily breathing and muscle exercises.
No one starts treatment at their first visit. The two approaches look similar from the outside but suit quite different people, and the only way to know which fits you is a proper look.
Your sleep, your mornings, your jaw, any headaches, what a partner has noticed and everything you've already tried. Bring whoever shares your room if you can, because they often notice things you don't.
Soft palate, tonsil area, tongue position and resting posture, lip seal, nasal airflow, jaw joint and bite. It's a comfortable look and feel, with no needles and nothing invasive at a first visit.
Which approach fits, or whether the better next step is a sleep study, an ENT opinion about a blocked nose, or nothing at all. Whatever it is, we'll tell you plainly.
Sometimes the two approaches work together: the laser treats the tissue while the therapy works on the habit behind it. Sometimes only one is relevant. And sometimes the most useful answer is that your next appointment should be with a sleep physician rather than with us. We'd rather point you in the right direction than treat the wrong problem.
Airway care attracts a lot of big promises. Here are straight answers to the questions our Bacchus Marsh patients ask most.
No. Obstructive sleep apnoea is diagnosed and managed by a sleep physician after a sleep study. Our Bacchus Marsh dentists can tell you whether your symptoms point to a medical assessment, rather than stretching a dental treatment to cover a medical condition.
Results differ from person to person. Some people respond well to NightLase, an oral appliance or myofunctional therapy, and some respond only partly. We'll tell you which is more likely for you before you commit to anything, not after.
No. The first visit is an assessment to work out what's going on. Nothing is booked unless you want it to be, and waiting to see how things go is a perfectly reasonable outcome.
Airway and snoring assessments and NightLase are available at our Gisborne Road clinic, Monday to Saturday. Live closer to one of our sister clinics? Magical Smiles Caroline Springs and Magical Smiles Point Cook each have their own website, where you can check what they offer.
Bacchus Marsh · Maddingley · Darley
No rush and no countdowns. Book an assessment online when it suits you, or call our Bacchus Marsh clinic and we'll help you work out whether this is the right place to start.
This page is general information about airway, snoring and sleep-related care offered at Magical Smiles. It isn't medical advice and it isn't a diagnosis. Suspected obstructive sleep apnoea should always be assessed medically; it is diagnosed by a sleep physician, not a dentist.
Outcomes from any treatment vary from person to person. Suitability is assessed individually, and we'll discuss what is likely — and what isn't — at your first consultation.
Myobrace® and Myosa® are registered trademarks of Myofunctional Research Co. NightLase® is a registered trademark of Fotona.