Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that damages your quality of life. Unfortunately, this common condition affects 22 million Americans. If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, you want a treatment that doesn’t restrict the way you live.
Patients Seeking Alternatives to CPAP
Sleep apnea sufferers are frequently prescribed with a CPAP machine to treat their disorder. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. This treatment method administers a constant flow of air to the patient’s airway through a mask that’s worn over your face.
Patients often dislike their CPAP machine because it’s annoying and unpleasant to use. It’s loud, uncomfortable, and it requires you to sleep on your back all night long. In fact, a lot of patients stop using CPAP altogether.
Many of our patients at the Southern Utah Sleep & TMJ Center prefer to treat their sleep apnea using an oral appliance. This small device is custom-made to fit comfortably inside your mouth while you sleep.
How Sleep Apnea Impacts Your Health
Sleep is an essential aspect of your life. It’s recommended that everyone get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night to maintain your health. This makes it possible to efficiently carry out your daily functions. However, when someone’s experiencing sleep apnea symptoms, they’re often getting a lot less sleep than they need.
Untreated sleep apnea can lead to serious physical and mental health problems. Some of these conditions include diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. Seeking treatment will help you gain a better night’s sleep and dramatically improve your health.
Sleep Apnea & Snoring
Snoring is a condition that can be caused by a variety of factors and it’s a major symptom of sleep apnea. Heavy snoring can disrupt your partner’s sleep, causing tension in a relationship.
If you snore, there’s a good chance you’re also suffering from sleep apnea. That’s why it’s essential to find the exact cause of your snoring. If Dr. White discovers signs of sleep apnea, he’ll provide you with an easy-to-use sleep test that you can take at home.
Once you receive your diagnosis, you’ll be provided with a prescription for sleep apnea care. Then Dr. White will help you find the treatment that works best for you. Sleep apnea and snoring can both be treated with oral appliance therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are my options for sleep apnea treatment?
Typically, the first treatment recommended for sleep apnea is a CPAP machine. The machine delivers a steady stream of air into your lungs overnight to help you breathe. While it’s effective for some patients, many others stop using CPAP due to the uncomfortable mask and loud noise made by the machine.
As a less-invasive alternative, Dr. White offers oral appliance therapy to relieve snoring and sleep apnea. These convenient devices are small, comfortable, portable, and allow you to sleep in any position you like. When combined with healthy lifestyle choices like a nutritious diet and regular exercise, an oral appliance can help you manage sleep apnea symptoms and get the rest you need.
How do I decide which sleep apnea treatment is right for me?
Once you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, our Cedar City sleep dentist will work with you to determine the best treatment plan for your needs. During your consultation, he’ll get to know you and listen to your symptoms, in addition to answering any questions you have about your treatment options.
For many of our patients, we recommend oral appliance therapy as a comfortable and convenient alternative to CPAP. These devices offer several unique benefits that other treatments can’t, making them an especially popular option.