Sleep Apnea and Dental Sleep Appliances
I’m sure you’ve heard of sleep apnea by now. Most of us either have it or know someone who has it. Since it affects one of my two favorite hobbies (eating and sleeping), I’m glad to announce that we are now able to make dental appliances for our patients here in Roseville and Granite Bay to help those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
First, you would have to be properly diagnosed at a sleep clinic. As dentists, we are not trained to diagnose or treat OSA. And you need to know that the gold standard of treatment is a CPAP machine, which helps force air into the lungs when you sleep. The problem with CPAP machines is that many people stop wearing them for various reasons, and like most devices, if you don’t use it, it doesn’t work very well.
Studies have shown that people are more likely to wear a dental sleep appliance long term. They are recommended for people with mild to moderate OSA. But studies have shown that they can also help people with severe OSA. If you are having difficulties wearing a CPAP device, ask your sleep specialist if a dental appliance would be an option. If they are not familiar with dental appliances, have them call us. We would be more than happy to consult with them.
Many of you have heard the infomercials for “Snore Guards”. They are similar to sleep appliances, but there are some important differences. A sleep appliance needs to be adjustable to be effective. We can measure how far to move your jaw forward to get the desired effect, and can make adjustments from there to best balance effectiveness with comfort. In addition, sleep appliances allow you to open your mouth. You are not locked into one position all night. BTW, neither snore guards nor dental sleep appliances actually stop snoring. But they usually lower the volume to a more tolerable level. Normal snoring is at the level of normal conversation, which at night can sound quite loud. These appliances often decrease snoring to the level of a whisper.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Dr. Steve
