If you have recently gotten a sleep apnea diagnosis, you will want to learn about the treatment options and how they work. CPAP devices are the most popular, but dental appliances are also a non-surgical option to consider. Continue reading to learn about the effectiveness of oral devices for sleep apnea treatment.
Dental appliances for treating sleep apnea are also called oral appliances, dental sleep devices or, more technically, Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD) or Jaw Advancing Devices (JAD).
Nightguards are often mistaken for oral appliances. Although they may look like nightguards, the similarities are just that—the appearance. A night guard usually protects the teeth from the effects of grinding and clenching during sleep. A night guard cannot correct the underlying reason behind sleep apnea—a restricted airway.
The aim of using a dental appliance to treat sleep apnea is to keep the airway open while sleeping. The device achieves this objective by preventing the tongue and jaw from collapsing into the airway during sleep. By stopping the obstruction of airflow, the dental appliance can stop snoring and sleep apnea. Oral appliance therapy is approved by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for treating obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.
Most patients are comfortable wearing the sleep apnea oral appliance and adjust quickly to wearing it like a custom-fitted mouthguard when sleeping. The dental appliance is designed using precise specifications to meet individual requirements and achieve the patient’s desired results. With recent innovations in the technology used for producing oral appliances, it is now possible to use 3D printing to enhance fit, durability and comfort of each device for each patient.
The sleep appliance is convenient to wear and does not interrupt regular sleep. Using the device improves sleep quality, and patients often report waking up feeling more rested. Ultimately, there is a high satisfaction rate with dental appliances.
Although there is no specific therapy that is 100 percent effective for treating sleep apnea, dental appliances are an effective option for many people. There are some additional benefits of oral devices, including:
Dental sleep apnea treatment ensures a better quality of life, as well as a longer and healthier life. The dentist will perform a comprehensive evaluation to make a diagnosis and recommend the proper treatment for sleep apnea. Different dental devices are available nowadays, but only the appliances recommended and provided by the dentist have been proven over time to be effective.
In cases of severe sleep apnea, an oral appliance may not be advisable because it may not provide adequate support for the compromised air passage. In some cases, a dental device may be recommended to make wearing a CPAP machine more tolerable.
So, if you want to know if dental appliances work for sleep apnea, the answer is yes. A dentist can provide a device made specifically for you with the backing of the latest research and clinical techniques.
Request an appointment here: https://www.anabelladentistry.com or call AnaBella Family and Cosmetic Dentistry at (425) 615-6654 for an appointment in our Bellevue office.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Sleep Apnea in Bellevue, WA.
Wondering how oral appliances can help treat sleep apnea? Oral appliance therapy tends to be the initial treatment when someone is diagnosed with this serious sleeping disorder. Since there are different types of oral appliances, it is essential to choose the right kind.Dental treatment is a popular way to address sleep apnea, as dentists are…
A tooth extraction involves removing damaged, decayed, or impacted teeth. While recovery is usually straightforward, complications can happen. For instance, dry socket is a condition that occurs when the protective blood clot at the extraction site is dislodged or dissolves too soon, exposing the underlying bone and nerves. Fortunately, dry socket is preventable with proper…
Laser dentistry is changing the way some dentists perform common dental procedures. This advanced dental technology utilizes special dental lasers instead of more traditional dental instruments. In addition to crown lengthening and gum disease treatment, dental lasers can also be tools for root canal procedures.A root canal is necessary when a dental patient experiences an…
Clear aligners are a great way to straighten your smile discreetly. However, clear aligners require good oral hygiene to ensure no oral health complications develop during treatment. This review discusses the risks of not cleaning teeth properly each day when going through clear aligner treatment.The risks of poor oral hygiene are often amplified when wearing…