For the past fifteen years,  we have been working with patients who suffer from snoring and sleep apnea. We find it a privilege to improve their quality of lives and sleep with oral devices that help them reach peaceful sleep. These oral devices are small, convenient and fit in the palm of your hand, far easier to deal with than previous failed attempts of CPAP therapy (often prescribed for snoring and apnea patients). Simply, these devices save lives.

One of the obstacles of moving forward with oral appliance therapy that we often hear from our newer patients includes cost and payments. So here are a few facts we put together.

• In most cases,  medical insurance reimburses a large portion of the service and device if the claim is properly handled.

• If insurance should not cover your situation, let’s do the math. If you consider the wide range of oral devices for snoring and apnea, let’s choose as a sample to use a longer lasting high quality custom device. A new custom type quality mouth device for snoring and apnea can last 3 years and usually much longer. (One of my patients who came in yesterday brought in his 10 year old oral appliance, and it is still in great shape!)  If you wore your oral device every night for 3 years, it would only cost you $2.47 a night.  If you compare that to a tall cup of Starbuck’s coffee which averages $3.00, that is 53 cents more a day to drink coffee than to wear a much needed, life saving device.

• Ask us if there is a temporary option using a lower quality and not as highly custom type device for you. For some patients,  this device can give some relief but we still recommend working with a dentist trained and willing to help you with this.  Side effects for these devices are often worse than  FDA approved adjustable custom devices.

Let us look at some of the possible outcomes with the lack of treatment in relation to obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. There are thousands of dollars of cost that often accompany these conditions.

• High Blood Pressure
• Stroke
• Heart Attack
• Morning Headaches that last all day.
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Mood Changes
• Relationship strains
• Higher traveling expenses (separate rooms)

Consider this: An oral appliance last years and profoundly change the quality of your life, especially if you have already attempted CPAP therapy. Make sleep a number one priority in your life! Peaceful, restful nights can add years to your life.

Dr. Sosenko is a general dentist and Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. She offers state-of-the-art snoring and apnea patients relief through professional oral appliance therapy. She may be contacted at www.TiredofSnoring.com or call 630.369.5508.

Hi this is Mary Ellen and I am going to review the tip of the week for dental sleep medicine.

This is a morning aligner, or a repositioner, or a retainer. It can be called different names by different providers of oral appliance therapy. Using these devices is one of the most important things I can talk to you about today that involves oral appliance therapy. For those patients who are wearing an oral appliance for snoring and apnea, use a custom  morning repositioner like this in the morning after you take out your appliance to help prevent potential side effects of your bite from changing.  Try to slowly adjust your bite into this device.  After it is inserted, keep it on your teeth anywhere from 5 minutes to 25 minutes or longer depending on what your teeth need. Take it out after five minutes and “test” your bite. If your bite does not feel ‘regular’ or where it needs to be, for normal chewing put it back into your mouth and adjust your bite to fit the pattern of the device again. Hold it there with moderate pressure until your teeth go back to their normal position that you are used to chewing.  After it is removed just briefly brush the morning aligner and place along with your oral appliance into the container box leaving the lid open and you are good to go. Our tip of the day, use a morning aligner to help prevent side effects from the use of oral appliance therapy for snoring and apnea.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630)369-5508.

(As seen in Naperville Glancer, April 2013 edition)

“I feel like myself again!” a patient happily blurted out at a recent visit to our practice. Was she talking about a recent smile makeover? Or possibly a re-energized feeling from a new exercise program? Maybe a new healthy eating plan has rejuvenated her? No, she was able to sleep well again, for the first time in over a decade!

Knowing she had snoring issues, Elaine was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, a sleeping disorder that caused pausing or dips in breathing throughout the night during sleep.  In many cases sleep apnea can cause restless sleep, poor quality of sleep and an entire list of other problems such as:

• Lack of energy
• Lock of focus
• Depression-like symptoms
• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• Personality changes
• Increase the chance of stroke and heart attacks

Unfortunately, Elaine could not get accustomed to wearing an air pressure device (CPAP) that is often used to treat OSA patients.  Years of not treating her condition took a real toll on her emotional well-being. She never felt rested, and often even depressed.

Luckily her physician referred her to us, for the treatment of oral appliance therapy, a CPAP alternative. An oral appliance proved to be a success for her.  In as little as a week after wearing an oral appliance, she was able to sleep well for the first time in years. 

And soon afterwards, she notices how much better she felt throughout the day.

Whether it be snoring, obstructive sleep apnea a, or one of the many other sleeping disorders, lack of good quality of sleep can have devastating effect. If you are interested in regaining your ‘youthful’ self-back and sleep well again, discuss your symptoms with your physician. It may lead to a youthful, more energetic you!

Dr. Sosenko is a general dentist and Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.  She offers state-of-the-art snoring and apnea patients relief through professional oral appliance therapy. She may be contacted at www.TiredofSnoring.com or call 630.369.5508.

Oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea is covered by most medical insurance companies and government payers which includes Medicare.

Like CPAP therapy, there are required records that the dentist must include in order to acquire coverage including a written prescription from the patient’s physician or sleep doctor.

Most insurance companies do NOT require a trial CPAP failure or CPAP therapy in order to cover oral appliance therapy.

• Very few dentists are contracted with medical insurance companies.  It is extremely difficult task to communicate with insurance companies.  We do everything we can to help our patients receive out of network benefits.

• There are many varieties of oral appliances available and a great variability of lab costs associated with these appliances.  Most dentists offer several appliances, much like a DME company offering different CPAP machines and masks.  The fee for the appliance will depend on which appliance will be most effective and comfortable for the patient.

• Most dentists ask for partial payment the same days the records and impressions are taken for oral appliance therapy.  The medical insurance is filed the same date as records.  The oral appliances are custom and returning the appliance is not an option.

• A dentist must be an approved DME provider to bill to Medicare.

• Medicare will cover oral appliance therapy based on the same criteria as CPAP therapy.

• Medicare coverage for oral appliance therapy does vary state to state.

• Military insurance does cover oral appliance therapy.

If you are interested in oral appliance therapy and your primary doctor or sleep doctor believes that an oral appliance is a good option for you, then there are several things your referring doctor can do to help you receive the maximum benefit allowed by your insurance.

• A written prescription is needed for oral appliance therapy

• Provide a copy of your diagnostic sleep study

• Chart or record notes from your physician

• If CPAP was tried and failed, those notes may be helpful in describing those facts.

Be kind to the dental office that is filing your medical insurance for you.  This process takes time, and the office does try to make this as easy as possible.

If you think oral appliance therapy is a good option for you, or if you have tried and failed or cannot tolerate CPAP, please talk to your doctor.  Untreated apnea is dangerous and will negatively affect your quality of life.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Wheaton, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630)369-5508.

We recently had a patient explain to us that when she was diagnosed with sleep apnea the only treatment option she as given was CPAP therapy.  She was desperate to know what other treatment options are available as a CPAP alternative.

Unfortunately, most patients I have seen over the last 15 years of working with obstructive sleep apnea sufferers have mentioned that CPAP therapy was their only option.   Yes, there are options!  However, which option that is best for you does depend on several things.  The severity of the apnea, sleepiness and fatigue levels during the day, and other complicated health conditions will play a part on the decision the doctor will make in managing your apnea treatment.  But the most common treatments options include the following.

Behavior Management

• Weight loss is highly recommended if needed.
• Avoid alcohol, sedatives, and tobacco
• Stress management
• Change your body position during sleep

Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Device

• Most common and effective treatment for sleep apnea and is the “Gold Standard” of care for obstructive sleep apnea.
• To keep the airway open positive air pressure is provided through the mask to keep the airway open during sleep

Oral Appliance Therapy

• Often very effective for mild to moderate apnea patients or for those people that are unable to tolerate CPAP therapy.
• These apnea mouth devices change the position of the mouth structure to maintain an open airway in the throat.
• It is important to work with a specially trained dentist with knowledge of jaw joints and sleep disorders.  Diplomates of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine have completed a rigorous testing process.
• There are many types of oral appliances, and the selection as to which is to be constructed is based on many patient parameters.

Surgery

• May be mentioned depending on the case severity and patient’s airway and throat anatomy.
• Except where abnormalities are present (nasal polyps, enlarged tonsils, deviated septum, or jaw malformations) surgery is only 50% effective, and many cases, which are in initially successful fail within five years.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Wheaton, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630)369-5508.

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