Sleep Apnea Appliance

Treating OSA is incredibly important to your health, since untreated OSA is potentially life-threatening and raises your risk for serious health problems. These include high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, depression, obesity, chronic acid reflux, and erectile dysfunction. It is also a threat to your safety as it increases your risk of drowsy driving and workplace accidents.

Dr. Chris works closely with primary-care and sleep physicians to diagnose and treat snoring and OSA. A sleep physician can provide you with a complete sleep evaluation, which may involve either an overnight sleep study at a sleep center or a home sleep apnea test. The sleep physician will interpret the data from your sleep study to make a diagnosis.

Your sleep physician will discuss treatment options with you. The traditionally prescribed treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. It involves sleeping with a face mask connected by tubing to a constantly-running machine that forces air down your airway to keep it open. Although CPAP is effective, up to half of patients don’t adhere to the treatment. Dentists can provide an alternate sleep solution with oral appliance therapy, which uses a mouth guard-like device to support your jaw in a forward position in order to maintain an open, unobstructed airway.

Research shows that oral appliance therapy is an effective, non-invasive treatment option for snoring and OSA that easily fits into your lifestyle. Treating snoring or OSA with oral appliance therapy can help you feel like a new person. You will find that your symptoms, and your quality of life, can improve dramatically when you remain committed to your treatment and use it nightly.

It is likely that you will sleep better, have more energy, and feel sharper throughout the day. You may find that your bed partner begins to sleep better, too! Patients like oral appliance therapy because they find it more comfortable to wear than a CPAP mask, it is quiet, portable, easy to wear, and easy to clean.

Once you and your physician decide that oral appliance therapy is a viable treatment option for you, they will write a prescription for you to receive a custom-made oral appliance, and a qualified dentist who is experienced in dental sleep medicine will make you a custom-fitted oral appliance.

At Apex Dental, Dr. Chris will conduct a complete clinical evaluation to examine your teeth, jaw, tongue, and airway, and recommend the device that is best for you. We will then scan your mouth to make a digital impression so the oral appliance can be fabricated. Dr. Chris will fit and adjust the appliance to maximize its comfort and effectiveness. After wearing your appliance for a while, and after any necessary adjustments, your sleep physician may schedule you for a sleep study to verify treatment success. Oral appliance therapy is covered by most medical insurance plans and Medicare, and our fabulous team will help you through that process.

Custom-fitted oral appliances from Apex Dental can improve your sleep, restore your alertness, and revitalize your health. If you have concerns about snoring or sleep apnea, please make an appointment to discuss this life-changing treatment with us.

If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, we can recommend a sleep physician to help you get started on your path to treatment. If you have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea, or you cannot (or do not) wear your CPAP, we can fit you with an oral appliance.

Our team at Apex Dental is ready to answer your questions about snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, dental sleep medicine, and oral appliance therapy!