Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that disrupts sleep by causing pauses in breathing or shallow breaths, leading to poor sleep quality. Treatment options include lifestyle changes, custom oral appliances, CPAP devices, or surgery to improve airflow. Snoring, often linked to airway obstruction, can also be addressed with a snore guard, which keeps the airway open during sleep.
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which one experiences one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. When breathing is paused or becomes shallow, one will often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep, making the quality of sleep poor. Sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes, oral appliances, breathing devices, and/or surgery.
Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) can often be a more effective, convenient, and comfortable alternative to CPAP for patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. The oral appliance aids patients by positioning the lower jaw and tongue in a way that minimizes airway obstruction during sleep.
Using our 3D Digital Impression Scanner, our office can create a custom-fitted oral appliance for patients to wear during sleeping. The oral appliance can be adjusted to maximize the effectiveness of the appliance while providing the utmost comfort for the patient.
Please be sure to bring your oral appliance to your dental appointments so our team can ensure it fits well and is continuing to work appropriately.
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Some of the warning signs of sleep apnea include daytime drowsiness, snoring, waking up gasping or choking, having a sore throat or headache in the morning, and difficulty concentrating. If you have a partner, they may notice that you have pauses in breathing while you sleep.
Sleep apnea tests can be conducted at a sleep clinic, but there are also take-home sleep tests that you can do from the comfort of your home. Sleep apnea may also be diagnosed with an examination of your airway and a discussion of your symptoms.
Untreated sleep apnea can have a negative effect on your health, even beyond the symptoms described above. Chronic sleep apnea can put you at a higher risk of stroke, heart attack, irregular heart beats, high blood pressure, diabetes, and mood disorders like depression and anxiety. When you are sleep deprived, it also puts you at risk for car accidents and workplace accidents.
One popular alternative to CPAP machines is oral appliance therapy, which treats sleep apnea by repositioning the tongue and lower jaw to keep the soft tissues engaged so they don’t block your airway while you sleep. There are also surgical treatments that remove or stiffen the soft tissue to keep your airway open.
Although every insurance plan is different, most health insurers will provide coverage for sleep apnea appliances.
