09/04/2026
Could you be losing oxygen while you sleep and not even know it?
Sleep apnea isn’t just a problem for older, overweight men. Women can experience sleep apnea too, and the signs may be less obvious; fatigue, morning headaches, mood changes, poor concentration and disrupted sleep can sometimes be mistaken for stress or hormonal changes.
A recent Canadian study of more than 51,000 adults aged 45–85 estimated that 28.1% had moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. Researchers estimated that approximately 27% had unrecognized OSA.
This is why we look beyond the teeth: A scalloped tongue, cheek lines (linea alba), tooth wear from grinding, a narrow palate, mouth breathing and other oral signs can give us clues that your airway may need a closer look.
The first step is testing! We offer a small, comfortable sleep ring that you can wear overnight in your own home. We can then review the results with you in office and help you understand what they may mean.
If your medical doctor has already ordered a sleep study, you can also bring those results to us. We can look at them alongside your oral and airway findings.
Treatment depends on the individual and may include myofunctional therapy, a sleep appliance, Solea Snoring Therapy, nasal dilators, Buteyko breathing and other strategies to support nasal breathing.
If you’re chronically congested, nasal rinsing may help improve nasal airflow. It may also be worth looking into potential inflammatory or histamine-related triggers. Sometimes an ENT evaluation is needed to identify structural causes of nasal obstruction.
Mouth taping may encourage nasal breathing for some people when appropriate but it should not be used to manage an obstructed airway.
This isn’t just about snoring! It’s about breathing, nitric-oxide, adequate oxygen, quality sleep, oral health AND your overall health!
Study:
Prevalence and regional distribution of obstructive sleep apnea in Canada
Canadian Journal of Public Health, 2024
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39037568/