Dental Treatment for Sleep Apnea
Sleep does a body good. Call us today at (516) 781-7567 to schedule a consultation for sleep apnea treatment with Bellmore Family Dental.
Are you tired of feeling tired? Not sleeping well is more than an inconvenience; it can also lead to significant health problems. Over time, those lost hours of sleep can take a toll on your physical and mental health.
The cause for your poor sleep quality may be sleep apnea. This common sleep disorder affects over 25 million Americans. Often, the first treatment option for patients is a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine.
Unfortunately, not every sleep apnea patient can tolerate using a CPAP machine. If that has been your experience, dental therapy is another treatment option that can improve your symptoms.
Bellmore Family Dental works with sleep apnea patients in Bellmore, NY, to create custom oral appliances for relief. We can make the process easy for you in just a few short office visits to help you get quality rest.
Understanding the Types of Sleep Apnea
If your breathing stops and starts while you are asleep, you could have sleep apnea. This sleep disorder falls into three main categories:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea – when your throat closes and disrupts breathing
- Central Sleep Apnea – a result of a nervous system condition
- Complex Sleep Apnea – a combination of the two
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type. The soft tissues and muscles of your throat relaxing or narrowing may be the cause. It can restrict your airflow and lead to snoring or choking.
Other causes include excess weight, smoking, alcohol use, or other medical conditions, including diabetes or heart failure. Men and older people are at the most significant risk for sleep apnea, although it can affect any age or gender.
Recognizing the Symptoms
When you are asleep, you may not even realize that you have stopped breathing. In addition, sleep apnea can make you feel fatigued and irritable during the day, which makes both working and driving a challenge. Other symptoms may also occur, including:
- Loud snoring
- Choking or gasping for air while sleeping
- Dry mouth upon waking
- Morning headaches
- Daytime sleepiness
- Insomnia
- Trouble focusing and concentrating
When you do not treat this condition, sleep apnea can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, depression, anxiety, and problems with personal relationships.
The best way to know for sure if you have sleep apnea is to see your medical doctor. You may need to undergo a sleep study to receive a diagnosis. After that, you and your physician can decide which treatment option is right for you.
Getting the Best Treatment for Sleep Apnea: CPAP vs. Customized Oral Appliances
Doctors often prescribe CPAP machines for sleep apnea patients. These devices have a face mask that you wear over the nose and mouth, and the mask attaches to a machine. The machine pumps pressurized air through the mask to keep your throat and airways open.
Unfortunately, CPAP machines can be expensive, and they also take some getting used to. In addition, you may find the noise and inconvenience to be as challenging as your sleep apnea.
Oral appliances, on the other hand, are quiet, easy to use, and travel easily. They work by repositioning your lower jaw or tongue to keep your airway open. As a result, your tongue, soft palate, and uvula also stay in a better position.
The custom oral appliance fits much as a retainer does. It may take a little while to adapt to wearing it, but after that adjustment, you may find your symptoms improving. Imagine waking up after a good night’s sleep and feeling rested and energized for your day, thanks to your sleep apnea mouthpiece.
Walking Through Our Process
Once you have received your sleep apnea diagnosis, contact our office for a consultation. We can review your doctor’s recommendation and evaluate you to ensure that a sleep apnea appliance works with any existing dental work. Next, we’ll take a dental impression of the inside of your mouth to create your custom mouthpiece.
When your appliance is complete, you come back to our office for a fitting. At that time, we may make any adjustments to correct your bite and address any tightness. After that, you should be ready to take it home and try it out.
We want you to be comfortable with your new dental appliance. If you find after wearing it for a few nights that it does not fit or that it causes soreness, just call our office for any additional adjustments. Our goal for every patient is quality care and service with a smile.
Helping People With Sleep Apnea
Take control of your health when you talk to us about dental therapy for sleep apnea. Our office has helped many patients like you, who are at a higher risk of significant medical problems due to this common sleep disorder.
Call us at Bellmore Family Dental by dialing (516) 781-7567, or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We have financing available and can help you with insurance to make an oral appliance an affordable option for your sleep apnea. We are in Bellmore, NY.