Do you wake up in the night to your partner poking you in the ribs, telling you to stop snoring? Have you been exiled to the spare room or sofa? If so, it is time to get help!

Even if you don’t have a partner to share your bed with, snoring can cause havoc in your day to day life. Many people who snore feel tired throughout the day, are more prone to sore throats and may even find their mental health begins to suffer as a result.

It may seem odd to approach a dental surgery to resolve snoring problems, but there are many things we can do.

At Amsel & Wilkins, our dentist in Banbury can offer you a range of options to help you stop snoring. We know how important those forty winks are and we want to help you, and anyone you may share your bed with, to get a restful night’s sleep.

What causes snoring?

First and foremost, it is important for our dentist in Banbury to examine your mouth and throat to establish the underlying issue that may be causing you to snore.

Many of our patients who snore suffer from a condition known as obstructive sleep apnoea. This causes you to stop breathing for up to ten seconds or more during sleep and is often the result of the lower jaw sliding backward and obstructing the airway.

Lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, age and even undiagnosed conditions like diabetes can cause sleep apnoea, but some people are just unlucky!

How we can help

Rest assured that our dentist in Banbury can help you.

Depending on the cause of your snoring and/or sleep apnoea, we can offer you different devices, tests and advice to help you manage this condition.

Sleep study

If your doctor has not already recommended this, our team will refer you for a sleep study.

This will be to assess your snoring for any patterns and to examine the severity of it on your sleep.

Sleep studies involve having electrodes placed on your head while you sleep; not the most flattering look, but this will help the neurologists to determine how much your sleep is affected.

Devices

Moderate to heavy snorer?

At Amsel & Wilkins, we can offer you a device known as a mandibular appliance; these hold your lower jaw in a forward position while you sleep, preventing it from sliding backwards and causing the obstruction.

These devices are custom fitted, so they will be comfortable enough to wear at night.

Lifestyle advice

As previously mentioned, lifestyle can often play a factor in snoring, so if you are a regular consumer of alcohol, you smoke or you take barbiturate based sleeping tablets, we can advise you on how to manage your lifestyle, while controlling your snoring.

If you regularly consume sleeping tablets, you will also need to consult your doctor about suitable alternatives

Tired of snoring disrupting your life? Call us today at Amsel & Wilkins!

When you find out that you, your partner or a family member is pregnant, it is a time of great joy and anticipation. With so many things to plan like baby showers, nursery decorations and gender reveal parties, as an expectant mother, it is easy to overlook some of the ways to keep yourself and your baby healthy.

Many women often feel overwhelmed with the sheer number of medical appointments they need to attend and therefore overlook that much needed dental appointment.

At Amsel & Wilkins, our dentist in Banbury is experienced in looking after pregnant women throughout their pregnancy and can help identify and treat common dental issues that arise during those all important nine months and beyond.

But how can pregnancy impact on your oral health and why is it important to visit our dentist in Banbury? Read on to find out!

Gum disease

You are probably well aware of how your or your loved one’s hormones will impact the body throughout pregnancy.

However, it is common for these same hormones to cause the gums to become more sensitive to the already present bacteria in the mouth, making you more susceptible to gum inflammation and bleeding when brushing; this is known as gestational gingivitis.

Our dentist in Banbury can check for and treat gestational gingivitis, by removing any plaque forming on your teeth and by prescribing you a special mouthwash to use everyday.

Tooth decay

The last thing you need during your pregnancy is a toothache!

Throughout the course of pregnancy, many women experience morning sickness, odd food cravings and develop a sweet tooth; this all leads to acid build-up in your mouth. Women who also suffer from extreme fatigue during pregnancy are less likely to brush and floss, creating a perfect storm of bacteria in the mouth, which can cause dental decay.

Our dental team can help.

We can recommend to you the strongest toothpastes to alleviate plaque accumulation, can prescribe an acid neutralising mouthwash and provide you with a soft bristled toothbrush, so you don’t irritate your gum line when brushing.

Growths

Lasty, you or your partner may be one of the few women who develop growths in their mouths during pregnancy.

Don’t panic! This is quite normal and these growths are known as ‘pregnancy tumours’, although the name is hardly reassuring. These growths often occur during the second trimester of pregnancy and are usually caused by extra plaque building up on your teeth near the gum line. The growth may bleed, become crusty or even turn purple in colour, setting alarm bells ringing.

If you think you have a pregnancy tumour that is causing pain, or difficulty eating or speaking, then come to Amsel & Wilkins. We know that these benign growths will usually disappear after your baby is born, but if they are causing you difficulty in your day to day life, our team may choose to remove them. We will discuss with you how to prevent them from regrowing, and provide you with specialised mouthwashes and toothpastes.