Snoring/Sleep Apnea
| Do you snore loudly? Does your snoring aggravate your spouse? Do you wake in the morning feeling tired and unrested? Do you find yourself drowsy while driving or while working? You may be suffering from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when you stop breathing while you are sleeping. This can occur for a variety of reasons, but people who snore are much more likely to be experiencing sleep apnea. The diagnosis of sleep apnea is made by a physician who is trained and certified in sleep apnea diagnosis. Dahm Dental can help manage your sleep apnea/snoring with several options: • The Therapeutica pillow provides proper neck support while sleeping on your back, as well as on your side. Most snorers find their snoring decreases with side sleeping, and the Therapeutica pillow offers you both back and side sleeping support. • Dahm Dental can also fit you with a variety of oral appliances for the management of sleep apnea. These appliances are like bite guards, which fit both your upper and lower teeth, and can be adjusted to position the jaw to open your airway and help prevent or decrease your sleep apnea. These can also be used with CPAP (forced breathing machines) appliances. Oral appliances are FDA approved for the treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea, and some medical insurance plans have benefits for these appliances. Dahm Dental will help you seek prior approval for your oral appliance and file your claim with your medical insurance. • There are surgical proceedures that can be helpful but they cause permanent changes to the airway. Many surgeries have proven to be effective for approximately 12 months with progressive relapse following 12 months. Your sleep physician can help in determining if a surgical procedure will be effective for your sleep apnea. |
 |
