Oral Appliance Therapy for OSA
Oral appliance therapy (OAT) is a hugely successful alternative obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment to CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). Many people with sleep apnea find a CPAP machine intolerable, so their sleep apnea treatment is short-lived and unsuccessful while they use CPAP.
Oral appliance therapy is a much more appealing treatment because all you do is put an oral appliance in your mouth according to the instructions of your Miami Beach sleep apnea dentist at SoBe Dentistry™.
Instead of blowing air into the mouth like the mask of CPAP, an oral appliance custom designed for you works by pushing your lower jaw forward to prevent the soft tissues of your airway from collapsing. You probably know that sleep-disordered breathing results from an airway blockage from tissue becoming too relaxed. The blocked airway makes the sleeping person force air through (the result is choking and gasping for air while you sleep). Oral appliance therapy is very effective for snoring and sleep breathing disorder treatment.
Combining Sleep Apnea and Snoring Treatments
While CPAP, surgery, and lifestyle changes may also be a treatment option for snoring and sleep apnea, oral appliance therapy provides unmatched success. The numerous benefits of oral appliance therapy in Miami Beach, FL, include the following:
- Convenience
- Portability
- Easy to maintain
- Comfortable
If you have tried CPAP to no avail and still suffer from the physical and mental toll that sleep apnea takes on you, you may be a great candidate for oral appliance therapy. When used in combination with lifestyle changes including the following, oral appliance therapy’s success rate is very high:
- Changing your sleep position
- Choosing a better pillow and mattress
- Wash your sheets weekly and vacuum the mattress to rid it of dust (allergies can impair your sleep)
- Use darkening curtains or blinds to keep the room dim at night
- Position your bed so you aren’t facing distractions such as a desk stacked with work
- Unless you’re using them for white noise or to listen to your favorite podcast, put your technology away at night
Surgery is reserved for the most extreme cases, and that’s very good news for those of you with mild to moderate cases of sleep breathing disorder. The oral appliance, which resembles a mouth guard, allows you to breathe comfortably throughout the night and get the air you need to sleep well and stay asleep.
If you’ve been deprived of high-quality sleep for years or even decades, you owe it to yourself to schedule a consultation with Dr. Escoto or Dr. Mantovani at SoBe Dentist™ in Miami Beach, Florida. You can’t just make a few lifestyle changes and expect your sleep breathing abnormality to be cured.
With the guidance of our sleep apnea dentists, you’ll learn how to manage your sleep apnea, and your symptoms will become less severe. We hope that in no time at all, you’ll be enjoying 6-8 blissful hours of sleep each night, and, in turn, you’ll enjoy better health and emotional well-being.
Schedule a Sleep Apnea and Snoring Consultation Today
Please call the Miami Beach, FL, sleep apnea dentists at SoBe Dentist™ today (305) 535-2225, or fill out our online contact form. One of our dental team members will reach out to answer questions or schedule a sleep apnea snoring treatment appointment.
