Oral Appliance Therapy – All You Ought to Know

By | September 3, 2018

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where a person stops breathing periodically due to collapsing soft tissue in the airway throughout the night. These stops in breathing usually last for around ten seconds and are often followed by snorts, gasps, or choking sounds as a person’s body fights to resume breathing again. The obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to a risk for daytime sleepiness and a lower quality of life.

Side effects of obstructive sleep apnea include

– High blood pressure
– Heart arrhythmias
– Heart disease
– Heart attack
– Stroke
– Increased risk of diabetes

Oral Appliance Therapy

If you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, you can consult with the sleep disorder specialist in Mesa who offers oral application therapy. The therapy involves the use of specially designed oral appliance worn during sleep that can maintain an open, unobstructed airway in the throat. Always it is recommended to use the custom-made oral appliances since it is proven to be the most effective one compared to the over-the-counter devices.

The sleep apnea specialist with training in the oral appliance therapy has the knowledge of choosing the right design of the appliance that suite your specific needs. A board-certified sleep medicine physician will provide a diagnosis and recommend the most effective treatment approach for your case. Then a dental sleep medicine specialist may provide the treatment and follow-up.

Benefits of Oral Appliance Therapy

– The oral appliances are easy to wear and comfortable. Often, the patients find that it only takes a couple of weeks to become acclimated to wearing the oral appliance.

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– As the oral appliances are small and convenient, you can carry it even during traveling

– Treatment with oral appliances is reversible and non-invasive

– Patients often complain of dry, itchy noses from the air pressure drying out their sinuses. Oral appliances do not have this problem.

– There is less equipment to become entangled with during sleep or knock off during slumber, for patients who are active movers during sleep.

Who is the good candidate for Oral Appliance Therapy?

– Patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea
– Patients with primary snoring
– Patients who have tried and failed at CPAP therapy may qualify
– Patients who were unsuccessful with or refused surgeries such as tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, craniofacial operations, or tracheostomy.

If you’re concerned you have sleep apnea you should contact your Sleep Specialist Doctors Apache Junction to schedule a consultation with one of the sleep disorder doctors or talk with your primary care physician about your sleep troubles.

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