Oral Appliances For Sleep Apnea
If you are reading this, perhaps you or someone you love has been diagnosed with sleep apnea. If you have, or someone you love has, you don’t want to ignore it. That’s because sleep apnea can be potentially life-threatening if you ignore it. Sleep apnea happens when your airway becomes blocked during sleep. When this happens, you stop breathing for some time- usually a few seconds.
This repeatedly happens through the night. You might wake up exhausted, or you may have a headache when you wake up. This continued sleep deprivation can lead to all sorts of problems for your health. If you or someone you love has sleep apnea, BayView Dental can help. Keep reading to get more information about treatments for sleep apnea.
What Are Some Therapies for Sleep Apnea?
You might not know this, but there are several different kinds of therapies available for you if you have sleep apnea. One of the oldest treatments available is a CPAP machine used to treat sleep apnea. CPAP machines use oxygen in a mask to help you breathe easily at night while you sleep. However, many people are not fans of CPAP machines. Many people find them uncomfortable and have trouble falling asleep, which defeats the whole purpose of wearing a mask in the first place.
Laser therapy has also been used to treat sleep apnea. Lasers are used to remove excess tissue from your throat, which may help the symptoms of apnea. Laser treatment does not always work for everyone. People have also tried losing weight to reduce the amount of tissue in their throat. They also tried hypnosis to help them breathe more easily. Sometimes, these techniques don’t work.
Oral Appliance Therapy
One of the newer ways to treat sleep apnea is through oral appliance therapy. Oral appliance therapies can also help with snoring. You may find you are more alert at work or home. You might also get up headache-free and refreshed. Oral appliances for sleep apnea look at lot like the mouthguard for sports or from bruxism. The oral appliance for sleep apnea puts your jaw in a forward position, which keeps your airway free of obstruction. That way, you can breathe better.
While mouthguards for sports or bruxism only have a couple of different types, oral appliances for sleep apnea come in many different shapes and sizes. You will need to come in and see us, so we can figure out which appliance is the best for your needs. Many people love oral appliances for sleep apnea because they are covered by insurance. They are also quiet and portable, fitting easily into your purse or travel bag. You don’t have to take care of them, other than keeping it clean.
Do you have sleep apnea? Do you want to get treatment for sleep apnea without a machine or surgery? We have the answers. Come and see BayView Dental, or give us a call at one of our 7 convenient locations now. We can’t wait to tell you about how we use oral appliances to treat sleep apnea.
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