More and more people are doing just that, and it’s GREAT!
Of course we are talking about oral appliances that help mitigate snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
About 22 million Americans are affected by sleep apnea. It is amazing how prevalent it has become.
I believe part of the reason that there is more talk about it is that the treatments for are getting better and better. Several years ago, one of the only forms of treatment was the CPAP machine, a giant mask that would noisily force air down the throat of the user.
Well good news– those devices have gotten smaller and quieter over the past few years, but many just couldn’t tolerate them.
Enter: The dentist to the rescue! That’s right…ME!
Your dentist has the most widely accepted treatment for sleep apnea ever offered. It is a simple device that is basically two mouth guards with a strap between them that pulls your lower jaw forward which keeps the airway in the back of your mouth open.
You can feel the effect of this when you tilt your head back, which might cause you to experience a little closing of your airway. Now, if you simply open your mouth a bit and get you bottom front teeth in front of your top front teeth you will feel that the airway is wide open. It is almost impossible to feel it obstructed at all in this position.
You can imagine how compliance is much higher with the mouth guards than the CPAP masks.
Many of the snorers you have come to love (sarcasm) also are being tormented by sleep apnea. They might be tired and grumpy during the day. Falling asleep while driving in the afternoon. They could be having issues with high blood pressure, weight gain, A-Fib or other heart problems. The device works beautifully for snoring as well as mitigating their sleep apnea.
So, not only can we help people with sleep apnea sleep better, but also the people that have had to deal with the snoring and the sound of the CPAP machines.
Please feel free to call us at 610-525-5497 if you or anyone you know would like to know more about how we can help the whole fam damily sleep better, feel more rested and have a happier, healthier life.