5 PERKS OF TREATING SLEEP APNEA WITH AN ORAL APPLIANCE

Everyone snores occasionally. But if you are regularly experiencing chronic snoring and find CPAP machines uncomfortable, call Perrigo Dental Care at 205-545-8007 to learn about how a custom oral appliance sleep apnea treatment could help you improve your quality of sleep!

If you are unsure if you have sleep apnea or not, visit our Birmingham, AL dentist office for a no-strings-attached sleep apnea consultation free of charge! When you visit us for a sleep apnea consultation, we will provide:

• A general oral health assessment
• Various sleep surveys to learn more about your particular experience
• A review of your survey answers
• Professional answer to any questions you have
• A tentative diagnosis and suggested treatment plan

By using one of our custom oral appliances to treat your sleep apnea, you can look forward to:

• More restful, natural sleep
• Feeling refreshed in the morning
• Improving your overall health

The vast majority of our patients prefer oral appliances to CPAP machines when it comes to treating sleep apnea. We’ve heard a variety of reasons for this. But for today, we’ll focus on five of the perks of oral appliance sleep apnea treatment that we hear about most.

Treat Your Sleep Apnea With An Oral Appliance

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that prevents the patient from breathing normally during sleep. For many years, the main treatment option used for sleep apnea was a CPAP machine.

CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure therapy. Basically, a CPAP machine pumps air through a small mask into your nose and/or mouth, preventing your airway from becoming closed and helping you breathe normally while you sleep. CPAP has been an invaluable tool in addressing sleep apnea, but many patients understandably find them very uncomfortable.

Compared to CPAP machines, custom oral appliances have many advantages when it comes to treating sleep apnea. Here are five of the perks we hear about most from our patients:

• Comfortable – our oral appliances are custom-made to fit your mouth precisely. Instead of forcing air into your airway, they slightly shift your jaw to keep your airway open.
• Electricity-free – if a power outage occurs in the middle of the night, a CPAP machine will obviously turn off. An oral appliance, on the other hand, allows you to get a good rest even when the power’s out.
• Portable – CPAP machines can be quite bulky. In contrast, an oral appliance can fit in a small bag or purse and easily travel with you wherever you go.
• Jaw-friendly – oral appliances can also help to prevent teeth grinding and potentially relieve a TMJ disorder, which may be contributing to your sleep apnea.
• Affordable – compared to CPAP machines, oral appliances are typically more affordable, helping relieve some of the financial stress of staying healthy.

If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, you should visit us for a take-home sleep testing kit. Using information from this kit, we can evaluate your situation and help you address the problem. To know for sure if you are experiencing sleep apnea, you should get a professional opinion from Dr. Perrigo.

That said, if you have any of the following symptoms, you may have sleep apnea:

• Chronic snoring
• Waking suddenly in the night feeling as though you are gasping for air
• Having a very sore or dry throat when you get up in the morning, despite any signs of an illness
• A tired, unfocused feeling during the day, especially while driving
• Morning headaches
• Frequently waking in the night and/or difficulty falling asleep

If your sleep apnea is relatively mild, you may not see what all the fuss is about. But left untreated, even mild cases of sleep apnea can lead to major health issues.

Think about it. You spend roughly one-third of your life sleeping. Now consider the health effects that could occur from not getting the proper amount of oxygen for one-third of your life! If you have sleep apnea and do not do something about it, you could increase your risk of developing many serious health problems, including:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Depression
• Headaches

With our help, you’ll improve your sleep and your overall health using a comfortable oral appliance!

If you’re ready to take control of your sleep apnea, ditch the CPAP for a custom oral appliance by calling Perrigo Dental Care at 205-545-8007. You can also visit our conveniently located Birmingham, AL dentist office in person or use our handy online form to schedule your free consultation or ask us questions.