Sleep Apnea Sufferers: Are you CPAP intolerant?
Would you like an FDA-approved alternative treatment?
Schedule a consultation with FishHawk and Apollo Beach sleep dentist Dr. Waterman today at (813) 642-6612.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that affects millions of Americans. The word apnea literally means “without breath,” and that is what sleep apnea sufferers are. Periodically throughout the night a person who has sleep apnea will stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer during sleep. The soft tissues in back of the throat collapse, cutting off airflow, and oxygen levels fall rapidly until the brain signals for your body to restart breathing. Most people won’t wake enough during these episodes to realize what’s happening. Snoring, daytime sleepiness, and memory issues may be the only signs of an underlying problem.
How is sleep apnea treated?
The traditional treatment for sleep apnea is to use a CPAP machine. The CPAP machine can be very effective. The challenge is that many people find that it’s too bulky, inconvenient, uncomfortable, or noisy to use faithfully, and compliance is low. After all if you don’t use it the treatment won’t be effective. These patients are defined as “CPAP intolerant.” If you discover that you’re CPAP intolerant or are beginning treatment and would like an alternative to the CPAP, Dr. Waterman offers another option to treat sleep apnea.
Surgery for Sleep Apnea
Surgical intervention is another approach to sleep apnea treatment. However, since surgical procedures are by nature invasive and it can be difficult to predict the outcome for an individual patient, surgery for sleep apnea should be a last resort after conservative options have been exhausted.
Oral Appliance Therapy
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, Dr. Waterman can prescribe a compact, comfortable, custom oral appliance, also known as a dental sleep device. A dental oral appliance positions the jaw forward, keeping the airway open during sleep. Dr. Waterman customizes the appliance to individual patients to ensure a comfortable fit. Since it is custom fit to conform to the contours of your mouth, you’ll likely become used to wearing the dental sleep device which is similar to a mouth guard in a few short nights.
Sleep apnea could be compromising your oral health.
Are you sleepy or sluggish during the day, even if you allowed plenty of time for sleep the night before? Has your bed partner expressed concern that you appear to stop breathing during the night or ever complained that you snore? These symptoms could mean that you suffer from a serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dr. Waterman offers relief for patients with sleep apnea with conservative oral appliance therapy at his FishHawk and Apollo Beach dental sleep office which services clients in surrounding communities including Valrico, Lithia, Brandon, Sun City Center, Gibsonton, Riverview, and Ruskin.
Call today for an appointment at 813-642-6612 to see if your sleep could be improved by a dental sleep device.