Patients indeed are often very surprised by how quickly they get used to wearing their oral mouth devices for snoring and apnea. Many of these patients had previous attempts in wearing night guards that help treat teeth grinding during sleep. Even if they were unsuccessful wearing those devices, many oral appliance patients get accustomed to oral appliances that treat apnea and snoring quite nicely.

Oral Mouth Devices – Oral Appliance Therapy

Side effects of discomfort and drooling usually are very short-lived and dissipate in the first few weeks. The far majority of our patients who have received an oral device at our practice are sleeping through the night within the first week of receiving their custom device.

Studies have shown that patients who have been prescribed an oral device for the treatment of apnea tend to keep wearing the device over the years to come, approximating to 80% long-term compliance. This compares to 40-60 % of CPAP usage studies. With our guidance and experience, we find that this number is even higher. Most of our patients continue to use their oral device once proven to be effective.

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 17 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, 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.

Recently I was diagnosed and told I need CPAP for my obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Can I use Oral Appliance Therapy and have a dental mouth device made instead?

Oral Appliance Therapy

Oral appliance therapy (OAT) has evolved over the past 30 years now reaching acceptable levels as a very good choice of treatment for many apnea sufferers.

The standard of care for oral appliances as set by sleep-trained physicians include oral appliances as an acceptable treatment choice for those:

• With mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• That prefer oral devices to CPAP
• With severe OSA unable to tolerate CPAP
• That have failed attempts of weight loss and positional therapy

There are other factors that need to be evaluated when OAT is contemplated. These may include how sleepy an individual is during the day as a result of apnea, or how low oxygen dipped during the patient’s sleep test. For many, CPAP can give them immediate relief of excessive daytime sleepiness. After their symptoms have been resolved, they may want to then seek oral appliance therapy.

Many successful CPAP users also choose to have oral appliances made as an option for traveling even if they are compliant and able to wear the CPAP.

Advantages of oral appliances over CPAP include:

• less cumbersome
• easy to travel with
• no hoses and cords
• no mask problems
• no facial irritation
• no sinus issues

To find out if you are a good candidate for oral appliance therapy, ask your sleep physician or primary care doctor about it. You can choose to come in for a screening and discussion here at Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, and we can help direct you with further details.

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 17 years successfully. We are extremely passionate in helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, 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.

Sleep Awareness Week – March 2-9, 2014

Sleep Awareness Week is an annual event that helps raise the public’s knowledge on the importance of sleep. Many people are aware of how important nutrition and exercise are to overall health and well being, but many miss the important marks on sleep health.

Here are a few myths and facts from the National Sleep Foundation to help us get realigned with SLEEP:

Myth 1: Snoring is common, especially with men, and not harmful.
Fact: Snoring is not uncommon amongst women. Snoring can also be a sign of a life threatening condition called obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is defined as a person’s airway is partially or fully closed during sleep causing oxygen depreciation.

Myth 2: You can “catch up” on not sleeping enough.
Fact: For most, 7 to 9 hours of sleep works best for peak daytime performance. If you are not reaching your best-needed level, it’s not easy to “catch up” on sleep debt. Sleep deprivation is linked to obesity and other heart issues.

Myth 3: Insomnia is characterized as difficulty falling asleep.
Fact: There are MANY different types of insomnia. With some people, they may fall asleep easily, but wake up very early or in the middle of the night and not be able to return to sleep.

These are just three myths and facts about sleep. We’ll cover more myths and facts in our upcoming blogs.

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, Lisle, 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.