You Mean I can Treat this with a Dental Appliance?

Oral appliance therapy and dental sleep medicine can make a difference. Custom made oral appliances reposition the tongue and the lower jaw forward during sleep to maintain an open airway. Dentists trained in Dental Sleep Medicine know how to select, fabricate, fit and adjust these devices which look like mouth guards to help patients breathe freely during sleep. Follow up visits and post adjustment sleep studies help dentists determine if oral appliance therapy is effectively treating their patients sleep apnea. Dentists are not permitted to Diagnose sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea is a medical diagnosis. Our Dental Sleep Therapy centre can facilitate a Sleep Study and a subsequent consultation with the Medical Sleep Specialist to discuss the diagnosis. Only after a diagnosis has been made should an Oral Appliance be considered.

Who should use an Oral Appliance?

Oral appliance therapy is indicated for mild to moderate OSA patients if they prefer it to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), the standard treatment therapy, cannot tolerate CPAP, or are unable to use positional therapy or weight loss to control their apnea. Oral appliances are also recommended for severe OSA patients if they cannot tolerate their CPAP. Patients with severe OSA should always try CPAP before considering Oral Appliance Therapy.