Snoring is annoying, to everyone involved. It results in poor-quality sleep for the person snoring and quite possibly no sleep at all for their bed partner. Some snorers are even loud enough to disturb people in other rooms. When someone prone to snoring falls asleep, the soft tissue inside their mouth, including the tongue, relaxes, obstructing the airway and resulting in that classic “sawing wood” sound about which jokes are made. What’s not funny is the constant fatigue, stress, and other detrimental effects of sleep deprivation. Snorers need a sleep apnea dentist in Rockingham, Harrisonburg, and The Shenandoah Valley who can help them identify and deal with the roots of their problem.

During a comprehensive oral exam, you will be asked questions from the widely used STOP-BANG questionnaire for sleep apnea screening. If Dr. Smallwood determines that sleep apnea is likely in your case, you will be referred to a sleep doctor for a complete evaluation. Hopefully, your sleep apnea will be such that the sleep doctor will decide it can be controlled using a custom-molded dental appliance for sleep apnea, for which you’ll receive a referral and which we can have fitted and made for you. Such appliances are a much more comfortable and convenient option than the hoses, mask, and noise of a CPAP machine that forces air into the airway.