We treat Sleep Apnea problems with an oral appliance, a simple in-mouth appliance (like a retainer).
Dr. Radwa Sobieh holds a Master of Science in TMD and sleep apnea from the University of Minnesota. For snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea, a custom oral appliance is often an option for people who can’t use CPAP.
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is pressurized air from a bedside machine. The air is delivered through a tube that connects to a mask, covering the nose. The pressure of the air forces and maintains the airway open while you sleep. This is a very successful treatment option, however it is only a great treatment if it is used! Many people find the masks very uncomfortable and cumbersome to wear. The noise created by the machines can also cause difficulty sleeping for the patient and partner. Additionally, the machines are difficult to travel with for many people.
Oral appliance therapy is non-invasive. The appliance is a mouthpiece for patients with snoring or mild to moderate sleep apnea, worn while you sleep, and it is about the size of an orthodontic retainer or sports mouthguard. Most patients find it comfortable and easy to travel with, and it can be used alone or with other treatments. It works by repositioning the lower jaw, tongue and soft palate to keep the airway from collapsing. We select the right design and custom-fit it to your teeth.
Sleep Apnea is a life threatening disorder and should not go untreated because you can’t wear your CPAP! We can make a custom-fit plastic mouthpiece for treating sleep apnea. The mouthpiece will adjust your lower jaw and your tongue to help keep your airways open while you sleep.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep disorder affecting over 18 million people in the United States. Sleep Apnea is characterized by loud or heavy snoring interrupted by the stopping of breathing for more than 10 seconds. The word “apnea” literally means “without breath.”
Under diagnosed and frequently dismissed simply as harmless yet annoying snoring, “obstructive sleep apnea” (OSA) is a very dangerous condition. If you or a loved one snore loudly at night, please have a sleep study done to rule out this potentially fatal condition.
Snoring occurs when the airway or passage through which we breathe becomes partially blocked or occluded. An example would be a tongue that falls back as we drift off into deeper sleep. As the diameter or size of the airway passage is shrinking, the net result is a muffled sound secondary to vibrations in the throat, or snoring.
These incidences can happen many times per hour and hundreds of times in a night’s sleep. When breathing stops, the snoring stops until the individual chokes and gasps for air. They will awaken briefly, sometimes violently, interrupting their sleep patterns and in the morning will have no memories of these incidences.
There are three types of apnea. In all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.
With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.
Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Yet still because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.
Untreated sleep apnea also raises the risk of drowsy driving and trouble at work. If you snore, struggle with CPAP or have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, contact us to schedule a consultation.
Yes, for sleep apnea. A physician diagnoses it with a sleep study, often one you can do at home. Once you have a diagnosis, Dr. Sobieh can make an oral appliance if it suits your case. For snoring without sleep apnea, we can talk with you about an appliance after an exam.
CPAP works very well when people use it every night. An oral appliance is smaller, quiet and easy to travel with, so many people wear it more consistently. For mild to moderate sleep apnea, it’s a common alternative; severe cases usually need CPAP.
Medical insurance, rather than dental, often covers oral appliances for diagnosed sleep apnea. We’ll help you check your coverage before we start.
It often reduces or stops snoring by holding the lower jaw slightly forward so the airway stays open. Read more in is your snoring a sign of sleep apnea?
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