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IN THE first two parts of this healthy living series, Dr. Alison Robinson from Geelong Smile Studio has been discussing Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) in adults.

In part three, she also reports that sleep disordered breathing may also occur in children.

Diagnosing Sleep Issues in Children

The diagnosis of sleep issues in children is more difficult than in adults.

Night time symptoms suggestive of signs of possible airway and sleep disorders in children include a louder breathing noise rather than a distinct snoring as in adults, poor/restless sleep patterns, teeth grinding, mouth breathing, increased sweating and bed wetting.

Obesity is only occasionally a significant factor.

IN THE last blog post, we discussed how snoring is pathological and could be a sign of a very serious medical issue known as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).

What is OSA?

OSA is basically varying degrees of blockage of airflow, so that you actually stop breathing in and out.

In this circumstance, the best case scenario is that your brain tells you to wake up (often without knowing you've woken up) and you take a deep breath. The effect of this systemic stress on the body is extraordinary and can ultimately result in death.

The good news is an assessment of OSA is relatively straight forward.

RECENTLY, Dr. Alison Robinson, principal dentist from Geelong Smile Studio, travelled to the prestigious Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies to attend lectures on advanced dental sleep medicine.

Snoring

Snoring is not cool, it is not normal and it can be a very serious medical issue that requires medical attention.

Snoring occurs when there is partial obstruction and subsequent vibration of the soft tissues at the back of the throat.

As snorers drift off to sleep, the tongue, soft palate, uvula (little thing hanging down at the back of your mouth) and muscles of the throat drops to the back of the throat and can obstruct the airway.

Snoring has been reported to affect some 40 per cent of the adult population and it is a major red flag.

In an alarming 40 per cent of snorers, it could be an early sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).

The Australian Dental Association (ADA) recently launched a campaign during dental health week to highlight the presence of Oral Cancers within the community.

Every day, at least three Australians are diagnosed with oral cancer and this number is rising.

Unfortunately, because of the delayed detection and subsequent spread to other parts of the body, survival rates of oral cancers remain low despite advancements in treatment.

Traditionally, men have been shown to be a greater risk of oral cancer than women. Furthermore, smoking and alcohol are MAJOR contributing factors.

In fact 80% of oral cancers occur in smokers. Heavy drinking (i.e greater than 4 standard drinks in a single occasion) also increases your risk.

Heavy drinking and smoking combined together greatly increases your risk of oral cancer.

In the last post, we discussed the importance of wearing a custom fitted mouthguard when training and competing in contact sports to protect your teeth against painful and potentially expensive dental injuries.

In the case of an accident and a tooth is damaged or knocked out it is important to contact and see your dentist as soon as possible.

All dentists will treat an emergency like this with paramount importance.

If a primary (baby) tooth is knocked out, it is important not to reinsert the tooth.

Chipped baby teeth may sometimes be restored or smoothed if the damage is minor.

If a secondary (adult) tooth is chipped, find the fragment, store it in a cup of milk and attend your dentist as soon as possible.