Our office partners with sleep physicians who will virtually meet with you to screen you for sleep apnea and snoring. If necessary, they will prescribe a home sleep test.
When the device arrives, you wear it for two nights and then return to the physician. The physician interprets results and will discuss the findings with you.
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea or a snoring disorder, our office can fabricate an oral appliance to help expand the airway to improve your breathing while you sleep.
How well you do, or don’t, sleep impacts your health and your entire quality of life. When your sleep is interrupted by snoring, or obstructive sleep apnea keeps your brain from resting, this interference moves into your physical and mental wellbeing.
Sleep apnea is a disruption in your natural breathing, and snoring is often a symptom of this. However, it’s not always an obvious sign. If your doctor thinks you may have sleep apnea, take their concerns seriously. And if you’re diagnosed with it, you may benefit from oral appliance therapy as a treatment option.
Snoring and OSA in general isn’t a new thing. People have had these problems for millennia. Dentists were the first specialists to use oral appliance therapy to treat these symptoms, though.
Oral appliances are devices that are worn when you sleep. They’re placed in your mouth like a retainer, but they are custom-fit and designed specifically to keep your airway open. When your airway collapses, snoring results, but if it collapses too much, you can’t breathe. An oral appliance supports the jaw in a position that holds the airway open comfortably.
As with any specialized therapy, oral appliance care must be provided by a trained dentist. Dr. Throop has the skills and knowledge to take care of your sleep medicine treatment. It’s an area of expertise that requires extra training that not every dentist is interested in completing.
Dental sleep medicine is a certified area of dentistry, and Dr. Throop has received the education necessary to qualify as designated to treat patients in this field. In addition to the in-school training, continuing education is required to keep up with innovative changes. When you work with Dr. Throop, you know you’re getting treated by someone who knows the newest and best ways to handle your care.
Part of creating a treatment plan for your condition involves your medical history, of course. Dr. Throop will sit down with you and review your records to determine the best course of action. When you work with us, in conjunction with your medical physician, our oral appliance therapy and their recommendations can get your symptoms under control.
Talk to your physician about your medical treatment for sleep apnea. Then, make an appointment at City of Oaks Dental to see how we can help you get the rest you need for a healthier, happier life.
Schedule a new patient cleaning or book a virtual consult with Dr. Throop today.
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