Obstructive sleep apnea stops hundreds of thousands of Canadians – and their bed partners – from getting a good night's sleep. In severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea, people may stop breathing for a minute or longer, hundreds of times per night. Sleep apnea treatments include a CPAP machine, surgery, or a sleep apnea dental device.
CPAP machines are the most common sleep apnea treatment. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), and is a small bedside pump that hooks up to a hose that's attached to a mask you wear on your nose. A CPAP machine produces air that is blown into your airway, preventing the tissue and the jaw from blocking your airway. However, CPAP machines are not right for everyone with sleep apnea; in this case a dental device for obstructive sleep apnea may be appropriate.
Who Can Benefit from a Dental Device for Sleep Apnea?
“An alternative to CPAP is something called an oral appliance or a dental device,” says Paul Sweeney, a Registered Respiratory Therapist and HealthChoicesFirst.com partner. “Its' basically a mouthguard that your dentist produces, and it fits into your teeth and pulls your lower jaw forward through a dental device that prevents your tongue and jaw from relaxing and blocking off the airway.”
Sleep apnea dental devices tend to be used in more mild to moderate sleep apnea cases, or for patients that have tried CPAP without relief from obstructive sleep apnea symptoms.
“They tend not to be as effective as CPAP, but for the right client they can work quite well,” says Sweeney. “And for patients tend to be more compliant with them than a conventional CPAP machine.”
There are a number of sleep apnea dental devices available. If you think that a dental device for obstructive sleep apnea is something that you might benefit from, see your family doctor or dentist and talk to them about this type of therapy option.