If you are unable to rest peacefully at night, you might talk to your sleep dentist about it to get a referral to a doctor for testing.
Did you know that a sleep dentist can help you get tested for sleep apnea? Here are reasons why you should talk to a sleep dentist at Massa Dental Center in Naples, FL about your condition, either before or after you have a confirmed diagnosis.
You Want to Learn about More Treatment Options
If you talk to a sleep doctor about sleep apnea treatment, the odds are almost 100% that you will be prescribed continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Your sleep doctor may mention home care and lifestyle changes that might support CPAP. They may also talk about surgical options, mostly to dismiss them for now, since they’re not highly effective.
However, your sleep doctor is unlikely to recommend oral appliance therapy–and may not even mention it, though it can be as effective as CPAP. If you want to learn about this treatment option in detail and find out if it’s right for you, you should talk to a sleep dentist.
You Have or Are Concerned about TMJ
Temporomandibular joint disorders (called TMJ or TMD) occur commonly in people with sleep apnea. There are many reasons for this, including shared anatomical causes and how your body reacts when you stop breathing. Because of the overlap, it’s important to find a sleep apnea treatment that can also help manage TMJ.
If you have TMJ or want to avoid developing it while using CPAP–as can sometimes happen–you should talk to a dentist who understands both sleep apnea and TMJ to find a joint-friendly sleep apnea treatment solution.
You Don’t Like the Thought of CPAP
Let’s face it: CPAP just seems like an unpleasant treatment option. It’s inconvenient. It’s bulky. It’s uncomfortable. You’re strapping a mask to your face, then forcing air down your throat. It’s not a pleasant concept.
For many people, just thinking about CPAP is enough to make them unhappy. You don’t want to even try it if you don’t have to. If that’s how you feel, you should at least talk to a sleep dentist and determine whether you are a candidate for oral appliance therapy, which is much more comfortable and convenient.
CPAP Seems Like Too Much for Mild to Moderate Sleep Apnea
As we mentioned above, there are many reasons to dislike CPAP. You might be prepared to use it, though, if you had severe sleep apnea with significant symptoms. But if you have mild or moderate sleep apnea without too many disruptive symptoms, you might be happier to try an easier approach to treatment if you can.
A sleep dentist will let you know if oral appliance therapy can give you the results you want.
You Want to Cure Your Sleep Apnea
As with most medical care, CPAP comes with some treatment risks. We’ve already talked about the risk of TMJ associated with CPAP. However, there’s also a risk that using CPAP can, in some ways, make your sleep apnea worse. Many people who use CPAP develop what is known as central sleep apnea. In this condition, your brain stops telling your body to breathe.
Since central sleep apnea can only be treated with CPAP, you can be forced to remain dependent on CPAP for life.
Oral appliance therapy, on the other hand, is compatible with trying to eliminate your obstructive sleep apnea. Not only does oral appliance therapy work well with complementary care options such as lifestyle changes, but there is also an oral appliance designed specifically to cure sleep apnea. The Vivos® appliance can reshape your airway to make it easier for you to breathe day and night. Clinical studies show that about a quarter of people can cure their sleep apnea, and more than 80% see significant improvement in their sleep apnea thanks to Vivos.
You Can’t Adapt to CPAP
You might have tried CPAP with a sincere commitment to making it work. However, that doesn’t always mean that you can actually get yourself to use CPAP successfully. About half of all people prescribed CPAP fail to use it over the long-term.
If you’re among the people who can’t use your CPAP as recommended, you have two options: either suffer with untreated sleep apnea or find another treatment option. Since sleep apnea is potentially deadly, that really leaves you only one good option. A sleep dentist can help you find the CPAP alternative that will work best for you.
You Want a Travel-Friendly Second Treatment
Perhaps you’re among the people for whom CPAP works well. You’ve got it set up on its own bedside table, with a nice cabinet for storing your CPAP supplies. You’ve incorporated getting your CPAP ready into your bedtime routine, and your CPAP cleaning into your morning routine. CPAP is working great for you–at home.
Traveling with CPAP is another thing entirely. You have to take all the gear with you, plus you have to set up your CPAP gear wherever you’re staying. It’s often just not worth it, especially if you’re a business traveler who is always doing overnight trips. If you’re going someplace where there’s no power–such as on a camping and/or fishing trip–you’ve got the extra complications of carrying enough batteries to power the CPAP all night.
Oral appliance therapy is especially easy for travel. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket, and it doesn’t require any additional gear. There’s no power requirement, either.
Talk to a Sleep Dentist in Naples, FL
If you suspect sleep apnea or have been diagnosed with the condition, consider talking to a sleep dentist at Massa Dental Studio in Naples, FL today. We can help you manage your condition without all the difficulties of CPAP.
Please call (239) 597-7333 or use our online form today to request an appointment at Massa Dental Studio in Naples, FL.