Sleep Apnea Treatment with Oral Appliance Therapy at Stiles Dentistry

For those of you who suffer from, or have a spouse or family member who suffers from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), then you probably already have recognized the negative affect it can have on your quality of life. Individuals with OSA suffer from interrupted sleep patterns, which decrease both the quantity and quality of their sleep. Besides taking a toll on your overall energy level, OSA can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to serious health risks including heart attack and stroke.

There are several different approaches to sleep apnea treatment, and one you might be familiar with is the Continuous Airway Pressure device (CPAP). The CPAP, which involves a special machine and mask to help keep throat muscles and tissue open while sleeping, is one of the most common forms of OSA therapy. However, it has some key disadvantages. For one, the machine is bulky and requires electricity, making it less portable for travel. Those of us with spouses using a CPAP know how noisy the machines can be. Finally, because the CPAP involves a mask and hose, it can limit your sleep positions, and prevent you from speaking and drinking while the machine is in use.

An alternative to the CPAP is an custom designed oral appliance that positions your jaw in a favorable position to keep your airway open while you sleep. These retainers are much less invasive than a CPAP machine (or surgery), are travel friendly, and most importantly: they work! Once you have completed a sleep study with your physician, and your eligibility for an oral appliance is assessed, our team can partner with your physician to create a custom appliance for you. We have included the video below, in which Dr. Dennis Stiles describes how one of these oral appliances works.



If you have been unhappy with the CPAP machine in the past, oral appliance therapy may be an alternative solution! We would be happy to refer you to a sleep apnea specialist, just give us a call!