Oral Appliance Therapy
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South County Sleep Solutions & Prescott Sleep Solutions
Dental Sleep Medicine located in Newport Beach, CA & Prescott, AZ
Oral appliance therapy can open your airways and reduce nighttime snoring if sleep apnea stops you from getting the rest you deserve. Dana Rockey, DMD, has worked with sleep apnea patients for more than 30 years. Dr. Rockey uses oral appliance therapy at his offices in Newport Beach, California, and Prescott, Arizona, to minimize sleep apnea symptoms and promote restful sleep. Call the location nearest you today or schedule an appointment online to learn more.
Oral Appliance Therapy Q & A
What is oral appliance therapy?
Oral appliance therapy treats sleep apnea. This chronic sleep disorder causes hundreds of pauses in breathing while you sleep. No matter how brief these pauses are, they deprive your body’s tissues and organs of the oxygen they need. Oral appliance therapy is a custom-made device you wear in your mouth to minimize the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Who benefits from oral appliance therapy?
Oral appliance therapy is ideal for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If you have OSA, the muscles that support the tissues in the back of your throat relax when you fall asleep. Once the muscles unwind, the tissues collapse and block your airways. Oral appliance therapy either shifts your jaw forward or suppresses your tongue to eliminate this obstruction.
Many people don’t realize they have OSA until another person alerts them to nighttime symptoms, such as loud snoring and clear pauses in breath. Other common signs of OSA include:
- Irritability
- Sore throat
- Dry mouth
- Daytime fatigue
- Morning headaches
- Low libido
- Difficulty concentrating
- Waking up gasping for air
Without treatment, OSA can increase your risk of serious health complications, including hypertension (high blood pressure) and stroke.
What can I expect from oral appliance therapy?
Oral appliance therapy uses custom-made devices to open your airways. Dr. Rockey can create two types of devices: a jaw advancement device or a tongue splint. While advancement device gently shifts your jaw forward to prevent the tissues in the back of your throat from collapsing, a tongue splint stabilizes your tongue to prevent blockages.
Is there an alternative to oral appliance therapy?
Oral appliance therapy can be an excellent alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices if it can not be worn correctly or tolerated by the patient or any number of resons. Along with oral appliance therapy, Dr. Rockey offers the following:
iNAP sleep apnea treatment
iNAP is a thin, battery-powered mouthpiece that discreetly fits in your mouth to shift your tongue forward. You can bring the device anywhere and track your progress on an app that connects to your smartphone.
NightLase® laser therapy
NightLase is a noninvasive treatment that stimulates collagen production to tighten the tissues in your throat. NightLase treatments can help prevent collapsed tissue without surgery or downtime.
Dr. Rockey is an expert in oral appliance and laser therapy for sleep apnea. If you’re struggling with symptoms like loud snoring, headaches, and daytime fatigue, call Dana Rockey, DMD, to schedule an appointment today.
