Oral Appliance Therapy: Simple, Effective Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Oral appliance therapy is often used in the treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders, as prescribed by your sleep physician. Each device is custom-made for each patient to ensure a comfortable fit. At Advanced Dental Sleep Medicine in Stratford, Guilford, and New Haven, CT, we are entirely dedicated to the management of sleep-related breathing disorders such as sleep apnea.   

What is Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is caused by collapsed tissue which partially or fully blocks the airway. This hinders the natural breathing process and can occur multiple times each night. Patients with OSA often experience symptoms such as fragmented sleep and daytime fatigue. These can negatively impact your quality of life, and can lead to the development of more serious conditions.

Oral appliance therapy is often used in the treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders, as prescribed by your sleep physician.

How Oral Appliance Therapy Works

Oral appliance therapy involves the fabrication of a custom appliance similar to a sports guard or orthodontic retainer. It is custom-designed to move your lower jaw slightly forward into a comfortable position. By pushing the lower jaw forward, your airway can expand. This minimizes interrupted breathing and alleviates the frustrating symptoms associated with OSA. Oral appliance therapy is one of the most effective and comfortable forms of treatment for OSA.

Designing and Creating Your Custom Oral Appliance

Designing an oral appliance that meets your individual needs takes expertise and skill. Dr. Reza Radmand and our other dental sleep experts use advanced technology and techniques in the design process to ensure a precise and comfortable fit. Using the information obtained during your sleep study, combined with the findings of his examination and x-rays, he will determine the measurements needed for your oral appliance.

Our goals are to ensure the most comfortable fit possible, while optimizing the position of your jaw and mouth to keep your airway clear. After taking impressions of your dentition, along with other pertinent measurements, we will forward the information to our specialized laboratory for the fabrication of your custom oral appliance.

Immediate Improvement with a Temporary Appliance

While waiting for the fabrication of the definitive custom oral sleep appliance, which may take up to several weeks, Dr. Radmand and his team can provide you with a temporary oral appliance. While this will not provide the same level of relief from your sleep apnea which you will experience with your custom-made appliance, it can help alleviate some of your symptoms in the meantime. 

Learn More About the Simplicity of Oral Appliance Therapy

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are looking for a simple and effective treatment option, contact our sleep medicine facility to learn more about oral appliance therapy. Use our online form or call (203) 689-5313 today.