Rest Effectively with a Sleep Apnea Oral Appliance

By: Chie Li Ee DMD and Gina Pratta
If you or your partner suffers from snoring, you’re not alone. 40% of adults over 40 snore and 66% of married adults say they have a partner who snores. It is apparent how it negatively affects all aspects of a person’s life. For the snorer, it may be a source of embarrassment and cause excessive daytime sleepiness. For the partners of the snorer, it disrupts sleep, also causing excessive daytime sleepiness and strains the relationship. Snoring could also affect daily routines, such as driving. Not getting quality sleep causes drowsiness during the day, which accounts for over 100,000 car accidents and 1,550 deaths per year according to the National Highway Safety Administration. A sleep apnea oral appliance could prevent a person from being one of these statistics.
A sleep apnea oral appliance is an oral device, custom fitted by a dentist, worn at night to help eliminate snoring and treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. (Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder when breathing repeatedly stops and starts, resulting in loud snoring.) A sleep apnea oral appliance keeps the airway open by preventing the jaw from dropping back into the throat. They can also be an alternative to positive airway pressure machines, which are the most commonly used treatment for moderate to severe sleep apnea.
CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines, for example, involves a mask worn securely over the nose and releases pressurized air that flows into the throat, keeping the airway open. Although, this is the recommended treatment for people suffering from severe obstructive sleep apnea, sleep apnea oral appliances can be an alternative for those who cannot tolerate these machines.
Typically, a sleep study would be conducted to determine if a person is suffering from a form of sleep apnea. A sleep apnea oral appliance could potentially be covered by medical insurance if a sleep study was completed, indicating a need for such a device.
Don’t let snoring compromise your quality of life. Two quick, easy visits to the dentist are all it takes to have a custom fitted sleep apnea oral appliance made. Cape May Dental Associates can help! Call (609) 884-5335 today to find out if a sleep apnea oral appliance is right for you.