WHAT IS O.A.T?  O.A.T. stands for oral appliance therapy, a conservative treatment option that consists of a custom made dental appliance, similar to a sports mouth guard, which is worn at night while you are sleeping.  Oral appliances are commonly used for keeping the airway open by bringing the lower jaw forward and preventing the tongue and other tissue from collapsing back into the throat.

WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR O.A.T.?  O.A.T. is a good treatment option for patients who snore and/or have mild apnea.  It is also an excellent treatment option for patients with moderate to severe apnea who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy and do not require surgery.  O.A.T. may also be a great option for people searching for a less cumbersome, easily transportable, and much more comfortable than a CPAP machine.

HOW DO I KNOW IF AN ORAL APPLIANCES IS FOR ME?  A minimum of 8 healthy teeth are usually required in each jaw ( 8 on top jaw and 8 in lower jaw.)  CPAP devices may be the “gold standard of care for apnea”, but if you have primary snoring, mild apnea, or are seeking alternative treatment for moderate to severe apnea, an oral appliance may be your best choice of treatment for you.

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE AND ARE THEY COMFORTABLE?  There are many different oral appliances for the treatment of snoring and apnea.  The choice depends on many factors including each person’s individual anatomy and lifestyle demands. They feel similar to professionally fitted sports guards and night guards. Most people find them far more comfortable and convenient than the CPAP device.

 Samples Of FDA Approved Oral Appliances

YES, I AM INTERESTED.  WHAT IS MY NEXT STEP?   Call our office to set up a consultation visit with our doctors to discuss if oral appliance therapy is the answer for you and which sleep appliance would be best suited for you. Allow a half hour for your New Patient Consultation, if you had a sleep study you will need to fax it to our office prior to your appointment.

Office:  (630) 369-5508  Fax:  (630) 369-7416

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois is dedicated to relieving pain and suffering from patients experiencing complex symptoms of TMD (temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction) and chronic headaches. Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder vary in their presentation and can be very complex. Often the symptoms will involve more than one of the numerous TMJ components: muscles, joints, nerves and the teeth.

What are some of the TMD/Migraine headaches symptoms you should be looking for?

• Pain around the Ears
• Jaw, Tooth, Face, Neck and/or Should Pain
• Clicking or Popping of the Jaw
• Grinding of the Teeth
• Ringing or Fullness in the Ears
• Migraine Headaches or any other type of Headaches
• Sinus Pressure and Lack of Draining

There are 236 types of headaches.  The large majority of these headaches have a jaw joint or muscle component.  Our treatments reduce the excitability of specific cranial nerves.  By lowering this threshold the likelihood and intensity of mirgraines or headaches are diminished.

Is TMD  Curable?

Although TMD can become a chronic problem associated with permenant damage from trauma to the head, neck or TMD joint, the symptoms can be eliminated through proper professional care. The objective of our treatment is to gently and naturally bring the head, neck, jaw and bite into neuromuscular alignment.  In other words, the head literally teeters on the top of the cervical spine with the center of gravity forward to the spine.  It is tethered to the body by muscles of the joint systems.  Functional and resting head posture is dependant upon the proper tension in these muscles.  Movement of the jaw is not only related to the muscles for chewing,  but also head and neck position.

Here’s what is involved in our TMD treatment process:

A thorough evaluation and patient history, then a physical examination to discover the muscle hot spots or trigger points.  We will perform a bite evaluation using computerized equipment.  Then we use a series of office treatments including state of the art equipment and massage therapy.  Also included will be very important take home instruments to help you manage and divert early signs of headaches and migraines.

Our goal is to help you be pain free and improve the quality of your life!

If you have any further questions, or would like to schedule an appointment to meet our team and get started living pain free, please feel free to contact our TMD Director, Cathy, at 630-369-5508.