There are 3 Options for Sleep Apnea Treatment. Which is Best?

There are many people that experience symptoms when they first wake up—but from what? Morning headaches, extreme fatigue, and the inability to focus can plague anyone’s day and undermine their overall quality of life.

Luckily, your dentist can help you with sleep apnea treatment. In fact, there are two common treatment options and one surgical option for extreme cases. Learn more in this week’s blog post!

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your upper airway is blocked by the lower jaw or tongue relaxing too much. You’ll have pauses in breathing and your body will negatively react to it because of your partially blocked airway.

The lack of oxygen signals your brain to wake you up, creating a very irregular sleep pattern for your body. You might not even realize that your brain is waking up, but you’ll feel extreme fatigue because your body isn’t able to ever rest or rejuvenate itself. Obstructive sleep apnea may be linked to these other concerns:

• Extreme fatigue from lack of efficient REM sleep
• Depression from frequent mood swings
• Increased chance of car accidents from extreme fatigue
• Risks of developing other systematic health conditions

What Are 2 Common Ways to Treat Sleep Apnea?

CPAP Therapy

Continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) is the traditional, tried and true way to treat sleep apnea. Your dentist will prescribe a breathing machine for you to use at night.  Simply wear a mask that’s attached to the machine.  It will work to push oxygen through your airway, keeping it open throughout the night.

Custom Oral Appliances

There are many patients who are CPAP intolerant, so many dentists now offer customized oral appliances. Your dentist will craft a personalized oral appliance for you to wear throughout the night. The mouthpiece pushes the jaw and/or tongue forward to clear the airway.

What If I Have an Extreme Case of Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Sometimes there are cases of sleep apnea that aren’t caused by the jaw or tongue—but excess soft tissues in the back of the mouth and throat. These tissues block the airway and will need to be surgically removed. This helps to address the problem temporarily, but 50% of patients who undergo the surgery grow the tissues back.

It’s best to explore your options with your dentist when attempting to address sleep apnea in Weatherford. Some options may be better for you than others, but you’ll never know for sure until you receive a professional’s opinion.

About Our Office

Here at Weatherford Dental Sleep Medicine, our goal is simple – we want to help patients suffering from sleep apnea to feel safe when they are sleeping. It’s hard to get a full night of rest when you have blockage issues or worry about your own health when you try to sleep. The good thing is that treatment is just a phone call away when you choose to visit our practice. Feel free to contact us today to schedule your consultation!