An Effective Way To Reduce Snoring: NightLase® Therapy
Snoring is common, but it can be problematic. Snoring often makes sleeping hard for people in the same bed, room, or even house. It can also lead to more significant health problems. Snoring is commonly linked to sleep apnea. However, even if a person has simple snoring without the presence of sleep apnea, they might experience low-quality sleep. In addition, the vibrations of snoring can cause micro-injuries to blood vessels. These then scar over, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis (hardened arteries) and stroke.
Millions across America look for effective snoring treatment options. However, very few find the right combination of an affordable, effective, and non-invasive treatment for them. If you’re looking to reduce snoring for yourself or your partner, consider Nightlase®. Nightlase® is minimally invasive, has proven results, and will reduce your snoring over the long term without needing to use a nightly oral appliance.
Here’s what you need to know to decide whether Nightlase® is the right snoring solution for you.
Get A Sleep Test
If your snoring is loud enough to bother other people, it’s important to get tested for sleep apnea. Your risk of sleep apnea increases if you snore loudly. Sleep apnea is a serious health condition with dangerous, potentially deadly complications.
It’s also a condition that Nightlase® doesn’t treat. So before you consider Nightlase®, you need to eliminate the possibility that you have sleep apnea, which you can only be done with a sleep test.
The good news is that most people can take a home sleep test in the comfort of their own bed. This is not only more comfortable and convenient, but it’s also less expensive.
Are You A Candidate? It Depends On Your Anatomy
If your sleep test shows that you have simple snoring without sleep apnea, Dr. Mand will evaluate your snoring to see if you’re a good candidate for Nightlase®.
Nightlase® targets snoring caused by your soft palate. The soft palate is the back part of the roof of your mouth. When you breathe, a large and floppy soft palate can vibrate. These vibrations create sound–snoring.
However, this is not the only source of snoring. Snoring can also be caused by vibrations in the nostrils or in the throat. Upland dentist Dr. Barry Mand will evaluate your soft palate to see if it is the likely cause of your audible snoring. If you have a large, floppy soft palate, he may recommend Nightlase®.
How Nightlase® Works to Reduce Snoring
Nightlase® works by shrinking and firming the soft palate. Using our (er:YAG) laser (the Fotona Lightwalker) Dr. Mand will gently heat your soft palate. This laser-induced heating causes minor injuries to the soft palate. As the soft palate heals, the tissue shrinks and firms. This should reduce or eliminate your snoring.
Nightlase® takes three treatments done a month apart for full effectiveness. Each treatment only takes 15-20 minutes. The injury from the laser is so minor that it doesn’t hurt. You don’t need anesthesia for this treatment, so you can easily get treatment on your lunch break, then go back to work.
Effects from Nightlase® are almost immediate. In fact, starting the first night after your first treatment, you should experience a reduction in your snoring. This reduction will increase over the first month. Then you will have your follow-up treatments in our Upland dental office until you complete your full course of treatments.
Once you reach maximum improvement, the results should last for a year or more.
How Effective Is Nightlase® At Reducing Snoring?
In one study from 2015, 10 patients had Nightlase®. After three treatments, these patients saw an 85% reduction in their snoring. Long-term follow-up for up to 36 months (three years) showed that these results were stable.
In a second study from 2016, 33 patients had Nightlase®. About 65% of patients were satisfied with the results, with higher satisfaction rates among people who were 50 years old or above.
In a 2019 study, researchers looked at the results from 40 consecutive Nightlase® patients. In this study, 85% of patients were very satisfied with their results. Patients saw significant improvement in snoring, dry mouth in the morning, and choking during sleep. This study had a follow-up of up to 24 months, and results were stable in 72% of patients.
Compiling the results from these and other studies, a 2020 systematic review found that the treatment had an overall satisfaction rate of 80% with a significant reduction in snoring.
Get Started with Nightlase® Today in Upland, CA
If you are looking for an effective way to reduce snoring without a nightly appliance or other daily treatment, consider Nightlase®. This easy, minimally invasive treatment takes only about an hour of total treatment time over two months. It effectively reduces snoring, and the results last at least a year, and possibly two or three years.
To find out if Nightlase® is right for you, please call (909) 982-5960 or contact us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Barry Mand.
