Sleep Apnea
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is repeatedly stopped throughout the night. It can result in snoring or choking, waking during the night, jaw pain, and can cause tiredness throughout the day. Long term effects include high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, diabetes, and more. The main and most common type of sleep apnea is OSA, or obstructive sleep apnea, and it happens when the soft fatty tissue in the throat and mouth relaxes too much, and partially or completely blocks the airway. This can be diagnosed through grinding of the teeth, scalloped edges of the tongue, or redness in the throat.
Treatments
Before treating the patient, a sleep study is usually performed. A device tracks your sleep over a period of time, looking for the decibel levels (loudness) of snoring, as well as the periods where breathing stops. This shows the severity of the apnea so that a treatment can be decided.
Hopefully, simply not sleeping on your back or small changes in other sleep and lifestyle habits can cure the apnea, but if not, treatment will be necessary.
One option is CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure), which is used to supply air through the nasal passages throughout the night by using air pressure to keep the airway open. However many patients find this uncomfortable and can not tolerate it, so other options are available. APAP is very similar, but uses alternating pressure, which shifts based on changes in your breathing.
Oral Appliances are becoming recognized as the #1 way to treat OSA due to their portability and noninvasiveness, along with overall improved patient comfort compared to other methods. The most common type of oral appliance treatment is the Mandibular Advancement Devices, or MADs. MADs moves the jaw slightly forward, causing the tongue to also move forward, improving airflow. There are also tongue retaining devices, which hold the tongue in place and prevent it from falling back and blocking the airway.
As a last resort, surgery to remove or tighten the tissue and widen the airway can be done to stop sleep apnea.
Why Us?
This treatment is far more than just a dental appliance. We will be there with you with our expertise every step of the way in order to ensure you finally enjoy a good night's sleep. Adjusting the device, titrating it, and follow-up visits will all be worry-free with us. We will discuss with your physician and insurance to find the best course of action for you.
Our 3-step process
Perform a Sleep Study
Suffering these symptoms? we will help you to schedule a sleep study to determine whether or not sleep apnea is the root cause.
Treat Sleep Apnea
If it is determined that sleep apnea is the issue, we will determine the best treatment for you to help you cure these symptoms.
Sleep well!
Once you are treated, you will be well on your way to a better night's sleep!