A Sleep Apnea Dentist is Connected to Your Overall Health

If you have difficulty breathing at night, visiting a sleep apnea dentist can be incredibly important. We understand how critical getting rest can be to your overall health and quality of life. Those that struggle to get enough air at night may find that they live in a constant state of exhaustion that makes it difficult to engage in normal daily activities. Some people find that they cannot stay awake even in the afternoon or evening but are constantly dozing off or fully falling asleep. If this sounds familiar, you may have obstructive sleep apnea.

This condition, unlike many health issues, has a fairly straightforward cause and solution. Many patients find it incredibly frustrating to visit a doctor with symptoms and not arrive at a clear course of treatment. This is not the case with sleep apnea. While around 18 million Americans suffer from the condition, there is a fairly simplistic treatment that can typically solve the problem.

As a sleep apnea dentist, we will begin by making an impression of your mouth. Next, we will have a removable oral appliance created to your exact specifications. When complete, the oral appliance will look similar to a full plastic retainer that goes on both the upper and lower teeth. The main difference is that the appliance makes the upper and lower portions hook together so that the jaw can remain in place. With the jaw firmly secured, the tongue will also remain in a forward position and, unable to fall backward, the airways will be fully open. This simple step makes it possible to wake up feeling refreshed instead of feeling exhausted.

In our sleep apnea dentist office, we have spoken with many patients that prefer to wear a removable oral appliance over using a CPAP machine. Since the CPAP is known for being noisy, bulky and uncomfortable, many people living with sleep apnea will simply forgo using it and suffer with the condition instead. This is somewhat understandable given how difficult it can be for a person's partner to sleep in the same bed when the CPAP is being used. This is unfortunate, however, given how getting the appropriate amount of oxygen is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  Fortunately, with the small size, portability, and convenience of a removable oral appliance, the complaints patients have with a CPAP machine are virtually non-existent when using this alternative.

Those that use the device we create, typically see an improvement in their energy levels and lifestyle relatively quickly.  It is common to hear reports of people that used to fall asleep immediately after dinner being able to stay up late to play or chat with their family and friends. As a result, having a social life becomes a possibility again. Further gains are made in the area of safety since driving while drowsy can be incredibly dangerous and a lack of sleep leads to higher blood pressure. With benefits that are seen and unseen, it is clear that wearing a removable oral appliance to treat obstructive sleep apnea is a convenient solution that should be explored by anyone struggling with sleep issues.