CPAP is the gold standard of sleep apnea treatment. While shown to be extremely effective for the majority of patients using it, an average of fifty percent are not able to tolerate the mask, tubes and highly pressurized air. When this happens, many patients find themselves at a loss. Their primary care physicians and prescribing sleep doctors cannot suggest an alternative to CPAP, leaving these patients without the care they need. Sleep Apnea is a dangerous disease with dangerous consequences if left untreated. So, CPAP has failed you. Now what?
The good news is that there ARE alternatives to CPAP available at Triad Dentistry in Greensboro NC, and they are effective, comfortable and convenient. Believe it or not, a dentist can provide you with an alternative, oral device therapy. By moving the jaw or tongue into a position that opens the airway, these devices can help patients who just will not or cannot wear the CPAP mask. No mask. No hose. No air pressure in your throat all night.
These devices typically look like a mouth-guard and are custom fitted to each patient depending on their dentition and particular Sleep Apnea problem. The process of being fitted is simple and painless. After a routine exam, collecting the patient’s health information, taking dental impressions, measuring the patient’s dentition and possibly a sleep test (if the patient has not taken one previously), the doctor can begin building a custom device.
Oral device therapy gives patients the freedoms they never had when wearing CPAP. Many find that they sleep better when there are no hoses and cords to become tangled in during the night. Our providers all have the skills and experience necessary to build you an oral device that will eliminate your Sleep Apnea and give you an alternative to your bulky, loud and uncomfortable CPAP.
Currently, there are hundreds of types of devices on the market. Our doctors will be familiar with most, so you can find the right fit for your dentition and particular Sleep Apnea case. Many work by adjusting the lower jaw, mandible, so as to move the soft tissue away from the back of the throat, opening the airway to increase airflow and reduce snoring.
If CPAP has failed you and your Sleep Apnea problem, you are not out of treatment options. Just give Triad Dentistry a call today. Get back on the road to good health and good sleep. Our specialists can give you the standard of care you need in the chair side manner you desire.
Sleep Apnea
Dr. Steven Hatcher
Dr. Chad Merrell
Dr. Sona Isharani
