Sleep apnea is a medical condition that many people deal with each night. You may have heard about sleep clinics that offer various solutions. But a dental specialist can focus on dental sleep medicine to manage and treat your sleep apnea using various methods customized to fit your needs. What makes dental sleep apnea treatment different from sleep clinic treatment?
Patients with sleep apnea experience several pauses in breathing as they sleep. It creates a lack of oxygen that stresses your heart, putting you at risk for heart arrhythmias and other conditions. It can be treated at a sleep clinic or by a dentist specializing in sleep medicine.
Dental sleep medicine is a branch of dentistry focusing on diagnosing, managing, and treating sleep apnea. These specialists focus on using oral appliances to treat the symptoms patients experience. Common sleep apnea symptoms include:
These symptoms can be treated using oral appliances, and restful sleep can be restored.
Oral appliance therapy effectively treats snoring and sleep apnea. These devices fit over your teeth to support your jaw in a forward position and keep your airway open as you sleep. They are customized for the perfect fit to improve your sleep and rejuvenate your health.
Some healthcare providers may recommend lifestyle changes to combat sleep apnea, such as losing weight. Extreme cases may require using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This is one of the most common treatment methods, but many find it uncomfortable and won't use it.
If you are dealing with symptoms of sleep apnea, Premier Dental can help. Contact your closest Premier Dental of Ohio location and get started with your treatment today!