Sleep apnea occurs when a person stops breathing while sleeping. This can occur hundreds of times a night and for long periods of time. Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease (stroke), memory problems, weight gain, impotency, heartburn, depression and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes (According to the American Sleep Apnea Association). There are 3 types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and mixed. Obstructive is the most common and occurs when the airway gets blocked, usually by the soft tissue of the throat. Central sleep apnea happens when the brain fails to signal the muscles to breath. Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of the two.
Oral appliances are used to position the mandible forward and thus reduce or eliminate soft tissue blockage of the airway during sleep. There are various types of oral appliances the can be fabricated by dental professionals. The most often used appliances in our office are:
-The Thornton Adjustable Positioner 3 (TAP-3)
-The Somnomed/Somnodent
How do I know if I have sleep apnea?
You should talk to your physician about sleep apnea and discuss your symptoms. Your physician may then recommend a sleep study, in which a team will monitor your sleep cycles and look for signs of apnea such as the amount of oxygen in your blood and periods where you stop breathing. You can then decide whether an oral appliance is right for you or CPAP.
Please contact us for more information about sleep apnea and oral appliance therapy or check out this quick video from Airway Management, the makers of TAP appliances. Or visit these links for more information on sleep apnea and treatment alternatives:
Airway Management, Inc.- www.amisleep.com
American Sleep Apnea Association- www.sleepapnea.org
Somnomed- www.somnomed.com
Where can I have an oral appliance made?
If you think you have sleep apnea or if you are snoring, please talk to your physician to see if an oral appliance is for you. If you decide to have an oral appliance made, contact us for an appointment.
