Sleep Apnea Treatment
What is Sleep Apnea?
The Health Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea
Orthodontic Treatments
Oral Appliance Therapy: A Comfortable and Effective Solution
- Comfort: Custom-fitted to your mouth for a secure and comfortable fit.
- Portability: Small, lightweight, and easy to pack for travel.
- Discreet & Quiet: No loud machine or bulky mask, allowing you and your partner to sleep peacefully.
- Easy Maintenance: Simple to clean and care for.
- High Compliance: Patients find oral appliances easy to tolerate, leading to more consistent use and better results.
Our Process for Sleep Apnea Treatment
- Referral & Diagnosis: If you exhibit signs of sleep apnea, we will refer you to a sleep specialist for a formal diagnosis. A diagnosis is required before an oral appliance can be fabricated.
- Custom Fitting: Once you have a diagnosis, we will take precise digital scans of your teeth and bite. These images are used to design an oral appliance that is perfectly tailored to your mouth.
- Appliance Delivery & Adjustment: When your custom appliance is ready, we will ensure it fits correctly and make any necessary adjustments for optimal comfort and effectiveness. We will also teach you how to use and care for it.
- Follow-Up Care: We schedule follow-up appointments to monitor your progress and adjust the appliance as needed to ensure you continue to get the best possible results.
Who is a Candidate for Oral Appliance Therapy?
- Have been diagnosed with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
- Are intolerant to or have not found success with CPAP therapy.
- Are looking for a more portable and convenient treatment option.
- Suffer from snoring, which is often a primary symptom of sleep-disordered breathing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common signs include loud snoring, waking up gasping for air, morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness, and difficulty concentrating. While these are strong indicators, a formal diagnosis from a sleep physician is necessary. We can help you find a specialist if you suspect you have sleep apnea.
Oral appliance therapy is a treatment, not a cure. It effectively manages the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea by keeping your airway open while you wear it. Consistent nightly use is essential for managing the condition and reducing associated health risks.
In many cases, medical insurance provides coverage for oral appliance therapy when it is prescribed for diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. Our team will work with you to understand your benefits and provide the necessary documentation to help you maximize your coverage.
A CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine uses a mask to deliver a constant stream of air that keeps the airway open. While very effective, some patients find it uncomfortable or cumbersome. Oral appliance therapy achieves the same goal by physically repositioning the jaw, offering a less invasive and more portable solution.
While you may see “boil-and-bite” anti-snoring devices online or in stores, these are not a substitute for a custom-fitted oral appliance from a trained provider. Over-the-counter devices are not designed to manage sleep apnea, can be ineffective, and may even cause bite problems or jaw pain over time. A custom-fabricated appliance is the only way to ensure safe and effective treatment.
