Being able to sleep restfully depends on your ability to breathe easily and without interruption. For countless children and adults however, sleep apnea prevents them from achieving the full night’s rest they need to be productive, healthy, and happy. With so many treatment options available, there are several important factors that go into choosing which solution works best for you.
What is Sleep Apnea?
For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses, preventing air from entering and exiting the lungs. This causes pauses in breathing and leads to characteristic snoring or choking sounds. This unconscious act of attempting to restore breathing wakes patients form deep sleep, which leads to day time fatigue.
Sleep Apnea Treatments
Traditionally, CPAP therapy has been considered the gold standard for treating sleep apnea. However, discomfort wearing the mask leads many patients to inconsistently use treatment. This does not alleviate the breathing condition and leaves patients vulnerable to other health complications associated with sleep apnea. For these individuals, oral appliances may better encourage compliance and alleviate the causes of sleep apnea.
Similar in size and shape to an orthodontic retainer, oral appliances are custom-fit mouthpieces recommended by a dentist. These devices are designed to gradually push the lower jaw into the proper position, preventing soft tissue collapse overnight and allowing patients to breathe without interruption.
Given their small, mobile, and custom fit, oral appliances present an easy-to-wear, comfortable alternative to CPAP machines. As the device is compact, patients who use oral appliances are also able to sleep comfortably. Additionally, treatment is flexible – if for any reason your oral device does not provide the relief you need, you are able to try other treatment options or combine CPAP with an oral appliance for a multi-angle solution to severe sleep apnea.
If you have any questions about sleep apnea, its treatments and their advantages, contact Aesthetic Dentistry of Scottsdale. We offer sleep apnea treatment options to patients from Scottsdale and the surrounding Phoenix communities of Fountain Hills, Carefree, and Cave Creek. Call Dr. Michael Kelly today to learn more about the best sleep apnea treatment option for you.
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