Sleep apnea treatment in Maryland

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder that occurs when your breathing repeatedly stops and starts while you're sleeping. This can severely limit the amount of oxygen you receive, causing you to feel tired throughout the day. It can also cause other complications, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, and type 2 diabetes. Although this disorder can occur at any age, it's typically diagnosed in people over the age of 40.

What Sleep Apnea Symptoms Should I Be Aware Of?

These are the most common symptoms of sleep apnea:

• Loud snoring
• Choking or gasping for air while sleeping
• Brief pauses in breathing during sleep
• Waking up with a headache
• Daytime sleepiness
• Having a dry mouth or sore throat upon waking

What Are the Most Common Sleep Apnea Causes?

The muscles in your throat are stiff when you're awake, which helps promote the proper flow of air into your lungs. However, when you're sleeping, these muscles become relaxed, causing your throat to narrow and obstructing airflow into your lungs. These risk factors can also make you more susceptible:

• Male gender
• Being overweight
• Large neck size (greater than 16 inches)
• Family history of the disorder
• Alcohol use

What Are My Sleep Apnea Treatment Options?

Most mild cases of this condition can be improved by making small changes to your lifestyle, such as sleeping on your side or losing weight. For most patients, our dentists recommend a dental appliance, which can provide relief from brief pauses in your breathing by changing the position of your tongue and jaw. Surgery may be required for more advanced cases. If you have any of the symptoms associated with this sleeping disorder, we encourage you to contact us to schedule an appointment. Our dentists will carefully evaluate your symptoms and determine if you're an ideal candidate for a custom-made oral appliance.

What Is an Oral Appliance for Sleep Apnea?

A sleep apnea mouthpiece looks very similar to a mouth guard or an orthodontic retainer. To ensure an optimal treatment outcome, your oral appliance must be custom-fit by your dentist, who will make sure that your device molds perfectly to your mouth. We'll take impressions of your teeth and send them to a dental laboratory to design a customized oral appliance. Once the device is made, you'll come back to our office for a fitting, and your dentist will make any necessary adjustments to ensure a proper fit. You'll also learn how to clean the device and maintain it over time.

You'll only wear the oral appliance while you're sleeping, and it works to gently maintain your jaw in a forward position. This helps keep your airway open, reducing breathing interruptions and frequent loud snoring. If you have sleep apnea in Maryland and want to learn more about how an oral appliance can improve your sleep quality, contact our office to make an appointment.

How Much Does an Oral Appliance Cost?

How much you pay for a sleep apnea mouth guard depends whether you have dental insurance and the type of device you receive. For more information about the cost of your oral appliance, please call one of our 10 offices for more information.

What Are the Benefits of Oral Appliance Therapy Treatment (OAT)?

The main benefits of oral appliance therapy treatment are the dramatic improvement in sleep quality and reduction in snoring. Most of our patients find that their oral appliance is easy to care for, and they also enjoy the general ease of use associated with their device. In comparison to other treatments for this sleeping disorder, your oral appliance is portable and very convenient for travel. A further benefit of oral appliance therapy treatment is that it's non-invasive and can improve your sleep quality and eliminate snoring without the need for surgery. Contact our office to schedule an appointment so you can learn more about the benefits associated with oral appliance therapy.

Is Oral Appliance Therapy Covered by Insurance?

Most dental insurance companies will cover some or all of the costs associated with oral appliance therapy. For more information regarding the cost of your oral appliance, contact your insurance provider.

Let us help you improve your breathing during sleep and eliminate snoring. Make an appointment today and learn how you can benefit from an oral appliance for sleep apnea in Maryland.