Oral Appliance Therapy
Lakewood, CO
Oral Appliance Therapy provided by Our Dentists
in Lakewood, CO at Northstar Dental
 A good night’s sleep is incredibly important to the overall health and wellness of a human being. It is essential for recuperating after a long day or to heal from an infection or injury. Undoubtedly, getting a good night’s sleep is critical to a healthy lifestyle, and yet it is one area of life that can often be disturbed by a process that occurs outside of consciousness.
Sleep apnea is a serious health condition that prevents people from sleeping, and it is often related to poor rest and breathing, which can definitely be a critical issue over time. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be treated readily through the use of oral appliance therapy, in combination with different strategies used to improve rest and breathing. Our team of doctors, including Dr. Adler and can help you to attain the proper sleep you most need and deserve. At Northstar Dental, we are happy to conduct oral appliance therapy, which is a treatment method for snoring, as well as obstructive sleep apnea. With this method, you will wear removable oral appliances as you sleep, and they will fit just like a sports mouth guard. The oral appliance resembles a cross between a retainer and a mouthguard. The mouthguard is a plastic mold fitting over your teeth while the retainer holds your mouth to a specific position.
What is Sleep Apnea, and How Does it Affect Us?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that alters the breathing of an individual during rest. Usually, it is diagnosed by a specialist throughout a sleep study. There are several telltale signs and symptoms that can suggest the presence of sleep apnea but snoring and difficulty in breathing during sleep are often the most common symptoms. If a person experiences an episode of ceased breathing followed by gasps for air, as well as heavy or abnormal snoring, then it can indicate the presence of sleep apnea. By inhibiting breathing, the body remains more alert throughout the night, and thus does not achieve relaxation nor reaches a deep sleep. People with sleep apnea, prior to receiving oral appliance therapy, often complain of feeling tired and fatigued, regardless of how much sleep they get.
Sleep apnea can also be accompanied by several other unwelcome phenomena as well. Waking up with morning headaches or feeling overtired, as well as having trouble falling asleep, may all be a consequence of sleep apnea. Waking with a dry mouth in the morning can be a sign of sleep apnea too, as the mouth dries from being open during the night with labored breathing. If a person has sleep apnea, it is incredibly important to address this issue right away. Fortunately, oral appliance therapy can help treat sleep apnea.
How Can Oral Appliance Therapy Help with Sleep Apnea?
Oral appliance therapy is a sleep apnea treatment that involves wearing an oral mouthpiece during sleep, which is similar to an orthodontic retainer. By preventing the collapse of your airway, the oral appliance prevents snoring and sleep apnea as it holds the mouth and supports the jaw in position. The effectiveness of this method is enhanced by custom fitting the oral appliance for you. Our team of dental professionals are committed to providing you with the specific oral appliance. Using a sleep study, our team of experts must first diagnose sleep apnea after which an oral appliance is fitted on you.
What Are the Types of Oral Appliances
Obstructive sleep apnea can be treated using the various oral appliances with each device differing in appearance from the next. The two main types of oral appliances most commonly used are the mandibular repositioning device and the tongue retaining device.
Mandibular repositioning devices are employed to keep soft tissues from obstructing the airways. They work by keeping the mouth open in a forward position, which allows for the mouth and soft tissue to not obstruct the airways, in order to promote sufficient airflow to the lungs. By keeping tissues from constricting, it also eliminates snoring. Mandibular repositioning devices are custom made for you by our team of specialists by getting an impression of your teeth and mouth. Furthermore, our professionals can adjust the device so as to maximize its comfort and benefits to you.
Tongue retaining devices, also referred to as dental splints, are used to hold the tongue in place, hence keeping the airway open. These devices are used less commonly than the mandibular devices, but they are helpful for individuals with mild to moderate sleep apnea. By wearing a device that allows for healthy jaw positioning, your breathing at night will significantly improve, with your sleep improving along with it. Our experts recommend these oral appliance therapy devices more often than other options.
How Oral Appliance Therapy Helps to Treat the Sleep Disorder
If you have sleep apnea, the consolation is that you are one in 18 million people with this condition, which increases the risk of high blood pressure, mood problems, as well as heart disease. Therefore, it is very important to get this condition treated. Oral appliance therapy is effective in improving symptoms of sleep apnea, improving quality of sleep, and your overall health. By holding the jaw slightly forward and down, the oral appliances are able to keep open your airway leading not only to snoring prevention, but also helping you to breathe freely at night.
Oral appliance therapy is more affordable than the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which is often heard of for treating sleep apnea. As a result, oral appliance therapy allows you to stick with it for a long time. These less expensive oral appliance therapy devices are also much easier to travel with, but the method is most suitable for mild symptoms.
Sleep apnea can affect your sleep, and lack of sleep can affect your daily life. Fortunately, oral appliance therapy allows obstructive sleep apnea to be treated with great efficacy, so you can reclaim and revamp your rest so you can be your healthiest best-rested self. If you have any questions regarding sleep apnea or oral appliance therapy, please call our team of professionals here at Northstar Dental at today! |
