Sleep Doctor vs. Dentist: Who Should I Visit to Stop Snoring?

If you’ve been thinking about seeing a sleep expert for your snoring, it’s likely because it’s impacting your life in a more serious way. Whether you’ve been waking up more frequently or your partner has had enough, you might wonder who the right person is to see for your snoring issues. Here, we’ll look at when a sleep doctor makes sense and when you’re better off seeing a dentist in Beavercreek, OH.

Sleep Doctor vs. Dentist

Both a sleep doctor and a dentist can diagnose sleep apnea and recommend a treatment plan that can help you curb or even eliminate the noisy habit. The difference is that a sleep doctor can monitor you in ways that a dentist can’t, typically by studying your breathing patterns when you’re asleep, and identifying what’s causing the interrupted rest.

Best Course of Treatment

If you don’t feel like you have a handle on your severe snoring, that is if you’re not sure whether you have apnea and what type of apnea you have, then you should see a sleep doctor first. In this case, sleep dentists in Beavercreek will work with sleep doctors to ensure that patients have as much support as possible. For example, a sleep doctor might recommend a breathing apparatus, and the dentist will supply it. Once you have a diagnosis, you can usually continue working with a dentist on a regular basis as opposed to regularly seeing a sleep doctor.

The main advantage of working with a dentist is that it’s less time-consuming. Instead of spending eight hours (or potentially more) with a sleep doctor, you can start with a few recommendations from your dentist. At Keep Smiling, we can sort through your symptoms, so you can decide whether you need to invest in both a doctor and a dentist, or if your symptoms are mild enough for a dentist to treat.