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Sleep Apnea Treatment for Patients in Sedona, AZ
TAP Appliances Provide Relief From Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Sleep apnea is a potentially fatal sleep disease marked by frequent pauses in breathing while sleeping. The name “sleep apnea” comes from the Greek word apnea, which means “without breath.” This condition affects millions of Americans each year. Not only does sleep apnea leave you feeling groggy and poorly rested in the forming, but it can also severely damage your heart. It’s caused when you momentarily stop breathing at night when you’re asleep. Since the problem is only caused during sleep, many can suffer for months or years without knowing they have sleep apnea. Symptoms include feeling groggy during the day, falling asleep during the day, and feeling tired all the time.
Peak Family Dental Care in Sedona, Arizona offers alternative sleep apnea treatments for those who suffer from sleep apnea. There are other methods for treating sleep apnea other than Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, known as CPAP. Below, we’ll discuss the disorder, how it’s treated, and how our method differs from typical treatments.
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Two Types of Sleep Apnea
There are two distinct types of sleep apnea that produce the same set of symptoms. obstructive and central sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is a neurological disorder in which the signals from your brain aren’t making it regularly to the muscles that control your breathing. This type of sleep apnea must be treated using CPAP machines.
The other type of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea. This type of sleep apnea involves the throat closing up during sleep which causes a temporary blockage in the airway. While CPAP machines are an option, there is a cheaper option for obstructive sleep apnea that can help with this condition. This sleep apnea treatment involves the use of a mouthpiece to keep positive pressure on your jaw, that way your air passages are always open when you’re sleeping.
Symptoms of OSA
For obvious reasons, you need to breathe, even when you’re asleep. In obstructive Sleep Apnea breathing pauses can range anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, and they can occur up to 30 times per hour. When there isn’t enough carbon dioxide leaving the body and enough oxygen entering it, chronically disturbed breathing causes an imbalance in the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the bloodstream. Chronic severe obstructive sleep apnea can have a cumulative impact on your heart and puts you at increased risk of heart disease, stroke, depression, high blood pressure, and heart attack. There is some evidence to suggest that untreated chronic sleep apnea can contribute to the early onset of senile dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms include:
- Headaches upon waking up
- Fatigue during the day
- Loud snoring
- Dry mouth and sore throat
- Trouble concentrating
- Sudden awakening at night
- Cognitive and memory impairment
- Mood disturbances and swings
If you are experiencing any of these sleep apnea symptoms regularly, you should contact a doctor and order a sleep study.
Customized, non-invasive oral appliances can help you gain relief from sleep apnea.
Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea
The most common way to treat sleep apnea is the CPAP machine. However, many folks find it very difficult to fall asleep at night wearing the sleep apnea machine. While patients with central sleep apnea have no choice but to get used to it, others have a second sleep apnea treatment option that can be equally effective. If you’ve been diagnosed with OSA, Peak Family Dental Care can make a specially designed mouthpiece that prevents your throat from closing at night.
When you come in for an appointment, the Peak Family Dental Care team will review your sleep study results and then review your oral health to ensure that an Obstructive Sleep Apnea mouthpiece is the best option for you. We will scan the interior of your mouth and take X-rays of your jaw to ensure that you will benefit from the OSA mouthpiece technology. If we determine that you are a candidate for this type of sleep apnea treatment, we will begin taking measurements of your jaw.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Peak Family Dental Care uses the TAP appliance to treat OSA. This can treat both OSA and horrendous snoring. The mouthpiece works by shifting your lower jaw into a forward position. This prevents your tongue and throat tissues from closing the breathing passageway and allows a steady flow of air into and out of your mouth.
The mouthpiece is made custom and fitted to your unique jaw. An excellent fit is a key element in making the technology work to treat sleep apnea. They are also adjustable allowing you to get more features from the mouthpiece. Our doctors will work with you to determine the degree your jaw should be shifted to ensure optimal breathing throughout the night.
Most folks find this therapy much more comfortable than CPAP. In fact, the majority of sleep apnea patients we have coming who request oral appliance therapy have already struggled with their CPAP devices.
Monitoring Your Progress
Typically, patients will return for a second visit after two weeks to ensure that their device is comfortably positioned. We also offer at-home screenings that allow patients to track their progress after 90 days. The results of your screening allow us to determine whether your TAP appliance is improving your sleep apnea condition or if adjustments need to be made for increased effectiveness. Regular follow-up appointments can also be made as needed if you feel that your TAP appliance is not the best solution for you.
We are dedicated to helping our Sedona patients find comfortable relief from Obstructive Sleep Apnea and protect their health. If you believe you are suffering from sleep apnea or are unable to successfully treat your condition with CPAP, contact us online or call us at 928-284-1091 to determine if TAP appliance is right for you.