Sleep apnea is essentially your body choking on itself and causing repeated episodes of partial or complete suffocation sometimes lasting a minute or more. These choking and suffocating episodes repeat constantly throughout the night causing a myriad of health complications including increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and even death. The cause of this collapse in the airway is usually due to the soft tissues in the mouth, tongue, or throat closing down and blocking airflow during sleep. The first sign of this is usually snoring which happens when you are attempting to breathe through a narrow airway. If left untreated snoring often escalates to full OSA where the narrow airway is now completely blocked. Nearly one in four adults over 30 are unknowingly suffering from at least mild sleep apnea.
Are you at risk?
- Do you snore loudly (louder than a person talking or loud enough to be heard through closed doors)?
- Do you often feel tired, fatigued, or sleepy during the day?
- Has your spouse or bed partner ever observed you stop or pause breathing in your sleep?
- Do you have or are you being treated for high blood pressure?
- Are you overweight or obese?
- Are you over 50 years old?
- Is your neck circumference greater than 16 inches?
- Are you male?
Oral Appliance Treatment
Two Rivers Health & Wellness Center specializes in fitting patients with a custom fabricated oral appliance to manage sleep apnea. The appliance works by holding your mandible (lower jaw) in a precise open and forward position and by doing so all the soft tissues in your throat and neck are no longer able to collapse and cause the nighttime choking and suffocating episodes.
At our practice, we work with the Respire line of oral appliances. These devices are manufactured to strict standards and are FDA cleared specifically to manage sleep apnea. Additionally, we use state-of-the-art acoustic imaging technology to ensure your jaw is held in precisely the correct position with the appliance.
Oral appliances therapy is a good option for:
- People with primary snoring
- People with mild to moderate apnea or people with serve apnea who are unable to tolerate or refuse to try CPAP
- People who cannot tolerate the high pressure of CPAP
- People with healthy, disease-free teeth
- People who want to travel without having to bring a CPAP machine
Advantages of oral appliance therapy:
- Appliances are easy to wear and comfortable to use.
- Appliances are small, noiseless, and barely noticeable.
- Appliances are convenient to travel with.
- Appliances don't bother bed partners.
- Appliances reduce self-consciousness that may report feeling with CPAP use.
- Appliances are not permanent; use can be discontinued anytime.
- Appliances are typically covered by medical insurance and Medicare.
