A new dental appliance for the treatment of sleep apnea

Millions of people all across the globe suffer from sleep disorders and more than half of them have sleep apnea. It is a condition characterized by interrupted breathing or pauses in breathing during sleep. As the patient runs out of breath, he wakes up in the middle of the night feeling restless and gasping for air.

The patient’s bedmate also complains of a loud snore. If you inspect the patient’s mouth, you will notice some sort of irregularities in the tongue, teeth, and soft tissues in the mouth. The irregularities are evident in people with moderate to severe sleep apnea. It is a must to treat sleep apnea as not doing so can lead to serious health complications such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac-related diseases.

Traditional Approach to Treat Sleep Apnea

The traditional approach to treating sleep apnea is through the use of CPAP therapy. A mask or a nosepiece is attached to the hose and hooked up to the CPAP machine. It will deliver pressurized air to the patient during sleep to prevent the airway from collapsing. While the CPAP machine works, many sleep apnea patients are not compliant with its use because of the following reasons:

• • A feeling of claustrophobia
  • Pressure sores
  • Annoying sounds of the machine
  • The uncomfortable feeling of wearing a mask every night.

Oral appliance for the treatment of sleep apnea

The oral appliance has been changing the way sleep apnea is treated and managed. It is now one of the leading and most preferred treatment approach to sleep apnea. There are various types of an oral appliance and they function like a mouth guard. A new oral appliance called O2Vent Optima is customized to fit the patient’s mouth. It reduces the possibility of airway collapse and helps in mouth breathing with or without the use of CPAP therapy.

The oral device is made from compact nylon and it functions by moving the jaw forward to keep the patient’s airway open and allow the air to flow through. The advantage of this oral device is it maintains the oral seal and keep the jaw in a stable position. To maximize the effectiveness of the oral device, it incorporates a proprietary airway technology by passing the obstructions from the tongue, soft palate, and nose.

The device works best for people who tend to breathe through their mouth when sleeping secondary to nasal obstruction. It manages mouth breathing and normalizes ventilation. When compared to other oral appliance, this new oral device is lightweight and less complex. So, patients won’t have a hard time using it.

The use of oral device for sleep apnea is one of the emerging trends in sleep medicine. If you have been suffering from sleep apnea and have tried some of the traditional treatment and management approach but to no success, then you should see a dentist specializing in dental sleep medicine. A thorough assessment will be done and after which, the dentist will create a customized oral appliance, which you need to wear religiously.

 

Learn more about Dr. Avi Weisfogel here https://www.aviweisfogel.org

A new dental appliance for the treatment of sleep apnea was initially published to Dental Sleep MBA Blog

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https://www.aviweisfogel.net/dental-appliance-for-treatment-sleep-apnea/