How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

          

                    

Sleep apnea may be ruining your life. You may fall asleep, only to feel the morning sun wake you up, what feels like, minutes after you have fallen asleep. Once you have not been able to hit rem sleep for several nights in a row you may begin to struggle to follow directions, complete fine motor tasks and you may fall asleep when completing important tasks. Several million Americans struggle with sleep apnea and require some sort of treatment while several thousands go untreated. When sleep apnea is left untreated death can occur.

Sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes, oral appliances therapy (mouthpieces), breathing devices, and surgery. Medicines typically are not used to treat sleep apnea.

Treatment may improve medical conditions linked to sleep apnea, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Don’t wait for these problems to impact your life. Get help today and get your sleep apnea under control. There are several dental procedure options that can now be used to treat sleep apnea.

For more information about Dental Sleep Apnea treatment contact Dr. Anna Lee & her team today.

Positive airway

Positive airway pressure devices are the most widely used treatment for Moderate and Severe Sleep Apnea. They have been endorsed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).  CPAP machine delivers air pressure through a mask placed over the nose during sleep.  With CPAP, the air pressure is greater than that of the surrounding air, and is just enough to keep the upper airway passages open and prevents apnea and snoring.

CPAP is the most common and reliable method of treating sleep apnea, but some people find it cumbersome and uncomfortable. There are different types of masks and it may take some time to find one that fits well, but for some it is just intolerable and it is for those patients that we have the answer.

CPAP treatment may also cause side effects in some patients.  These side effects include a dry or stuffy nose, irritated skin on the face, dry mouth and headaches.  If CPAP is not adjusted properly, patients may get stomach bloating and discomfort while wearing the mask.

Dr. Anna Lee, a dentist trained in sleep apnea, can assist you with treatment by determining if you are a candidate for an oral dental device and then creating your custom appliance for therapy.  Dr. Lee conducts a full evaluation of your teeth, mouth, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) to ensure that your teeth and jaw structure are healthy enough to wear an oral appliance. Following the examination, you will have models of your teeth made and a follow-up appointment is scheduled to fit your custom appliance.                 

Call Dr. Anna Lee at 626-335-5114 for more information.

Oral Appliances

If you are plagued by sleep apnea there is now no reason to wait for treatment, as your Glendora Dentist,Dr. Anna Lee is able to provide treatment options. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has approved Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) as a first line treatment for patients diagnosed with mild to moderate OSA.  AASM recommends oral appliances for patients with severe OSA, who are unable to tolerate or cannot wear Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices.  Another option for people with severe OSA is Combination Therapy (wearing CPAP and an oral appliance together) to help reduce the pressure on a CPAP machine, making it more comfortable to use.

Dr.Anna Lee is a dentist trained in sleep apnea who can assist you with treatment.  Dr. Lee conducts a full evaluation of your teeth, mouth, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) to ensure that your teeth and jaw structure are healthy enough to wear an oral appliance. Following the examination, you will have models of your teeth made and a follow-up appointment is scheduled to fit your custom appliance.                  

Call Dr. Anna Lee at 626-335-5114 for more information.