January 16, 2025 Reviews

How Dentists Can Help With Sleep Apnea: A Non-Surgical Approach

Many disorders and illnesses stem from poor oral health. Various studies and research stress the importance of practicing good oral hygiene to help maintain good health, which is why checking yourself regularly with the dentist is crucial. Dentists help keep an eye out for potential disorders; one such disorder you may not even know you have is sleep apnea. Today’s article highlights how dentists can help with sleep apnea by offering different non-surgical solutions.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder where a person experiences repeated pauses during sleep. People who have sleep experience many negative effects like dry mouth, cognitive difficulties, several cardiovascular problems, and even mood swings.

Understanding Oral Appliance Therapy: How it works and its benefits.

Although traditional treatments exist to address this condition, Alphington dentists, along with many other dentists, can also help by offering certain non-surgical solutions, such as oral appliance therapy (OAT). As the name suggests, this therapy uses a customized oral appliance, like a mouthguard, to reposition the jaw and tongue during sleep. The appliance gently positions the lower jaw forward, maintaining the mouth’s open airway by preventing the tongue from collapsing backward. In other instances, the OAT device helps widen the airway by creating a wider gap between the upper and lower jaws.

What are the types of oral devices commonly used in OATs?

People who suffer from sleep apnea don’t always suffer the same negative side effects, with some only manifesting one or two. Because of that, certain oral appliances are used on them, designed to address specific sleep apnea conditions:

Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs). This is the most common OAT device. It fits snugly between the upper and lower teeth, gently moving the lower jaw forward. MADs come in different designs and sizes, allowing limited jaw movement during sleep.

Tongue Retaining Devices (TRDs). As mentioned earlier, one of the concerning drawbacks of sleep apnea is when the tongue collapses backward, blocking the airway. To avoid these, TRDs are used to hold the tongue in place, making the airway obstruction-free.

Combination Devices. For people who want to address multiple concerns, they can opt for OATs with combined features. The dentist would need to thoroughly check your condition so they can assess and suggest the particular design needed for your OATs.

What are the benefits of using OATs?

There are other ways to address sleep apnea, like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. This traditional method is reliant on a machine to produce pressurized air through a mask, which you will use as you sleep. As stated before, OATs are non-surgical and offer many other benefits.

It’s easier to use. Compared to CPAP therapy, which uses a machine for treatment, OATs are more comfortable because they’re smaller and easier to maintain.

There’s less risk of complications. Because OATs are non-surgical, they are also non-invasive, so there are significantly fewer side effects during treatment.

It improves sleep quality.  Treating sleep apnea as soon as possible improves your sleep quality, which leads to improved moods, better cognitive skills, and greater energy levels.

To wrap it up, OATs are one of the most effective ways to treat sleep apnea. But before availing yourself of treatment, make sure to check with your regular dentists first so they can assess your condition before proceeding with the treatment.

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