The clinic's logo in blue

Oral Appliance Therapy

man snoring next to woman needs sleep apnea treatment in Beachwood, OH

If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, we may talk to you about oral appliance therapy. This form of treatment can allow you to get a good night’s sleep without relying on a CPAP machine. Many find those machines uncomfortable to use and disruptive to others. The team at Aspire Dental Spa can create a custom oral appliance for you that can treat your sleep apnea without bothering others or requiring you to deal with a CPAP machine.

How Does Oral Appliance Therapy Treat Sleep Apnea?

There are two different types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is caused by a disorder in the brain and requires medical treatment. Obstructive sleep apnea, however, can be treated with oral appliance therapy. With this type of sleep apnea, the muscles of the throat or your tongue fall over your airway while you sleep, making it difficult for you to breath. Your body jerks away when it cannot get the oxygen it needs. Sometimes, it jerks away enough that you actually are consciously aware of it. Other times, however, you may not realize that you are waking up so often. In the morning, you may feel as if you did not sleep much at all.

An oral appliance can be used to prevent your airway from being blocked. There are three different options. One prevents your tongue from covering your airway by holding it in place while you sleep. Another actually pushes the lower part of your mouth slightly forward to stop your throat muscles from falling into the airway. The third type does both. We will need to do a study to determine which type you need. If we determine that your sleep apnea is not obstructive, you will need to speak to your medical doctor to discuss your options.

How Oral Appliances Are Made

Every oral appliance we make is created custom for the patient. When we determine which type of oral appliance you need, we will take careful measurements of your mouth. These measurements are sent to the manufacturer who uses them to create your oral appliance. By creating a custom appliance, we ensure that the device fits you correctly and is comfortable to wear while you sleep. We may need to make an adjustment or two if you find that it is not comfortable. If you start using the appliance and you feel any sort of pain, you will need to call us as soon as you can to adjust it.

Is Oral Appliance Therapy Right For You?

If you have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, oral appliance therapy may be the right tool to help you sleep. While some patients may use CPAP machines, those machines are loud and can be uncomfortable. An oral appliance makes no sound, and once created to your measurements and adjusted as needed, is fairly comfortable to wear while you sleep.

If you find yourself waking up often during the night or are consistently waking up feeling as if you did not get much sleep, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. Call Aspire Dental Spa at (216) 342-4388 to schedule a consultation to discuss this condition and if oral appliance therapy is right for you.