Sleep Apnea Treatment: Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) in Arlington

Did you know that you could have our dentist provide treatment for sleep apnea in Arlington? A dental mouthpiece may be all you need to sleep for an entire eight hours and wake up feeling energized.

What Does it Mean if a Person Has Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea refers to a medical condition which causes a sleeping individual to stop breathing for multiple times per hour. Muscles in the throat relax to the point that they collapse, blocking the person's airway.

What Are the Evident Sleep Apnea Symptoms?

Pay attention if:

• Someone tells you that you make choking noises while sleeping
• Someone tells you that you snore loudly
• You are extremely tired all day
• Your head pounds first thing in the morning

What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea causes include obesity or being overweight as fat in the neck can narrow your airway. More men than women have OSA. This occurs for many reasons, but most commonly when men gain weight, the fat settles more often in the neck and torso. Other risk factors include being over 40, having a family history of OSA and smoking. Smokers are three times more likely to have OSA than people who don't smoke.

What Type of Sleep Apnea Treatment Works Best?

Before you get treatment, you will need a diagnosis, which depends on how many apnea events you have each hour while you are sleeping. Your primary care physician or sleep doctor will send you to a sleep lab for overnight observation, where your apnea events are recorded. Your sleep doctor may suggest lifestyle changes, a CPAP machine or oral appliance therapy. There is no guarantee that a treatment will work; sometimes nothing relieves your OSA symptoms. Surgery is the last option, reserved for when all other options have been tried without success, but surgery is not successful in all cases.

Dental Appliance for Sleep Apnea

What Are Mouth Guards for OSA?

An oral appliance for sleep apnea is a custom made appliance that gently pushes the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open. There are devices to keep the tongue from falling into the airway as well. You should get your custom sleep apnea mouth guard from a dentist; the devices sold online are rarely effective.

What Do Dentist Charge for a Sleep Apnea Mouthpiece?

Several factors determine the cost of a mouthpiece, including the type and brand of the mouthpiece and how many follow up appointments for adjustments you will need. Please call our office to make an appointment with a sleep dentist who can give you an estimate of your total cost.

How Will Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) Benefit Me?

With OAT, you will get a restful night's sleep by using a discrete mouthpiece. Since you won't feel tired the next day, you reduce your risk of having a vehicle accident or an accident at work. You also lower your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and other ailments.

Will My Insurance Pay for an Oral Appliance for Sleep Apnea in Arlington?

Your medical insurance may pay for oral appliance therapy since OSA is a serious medical condition that can raise your risk for experiencing more extensive health problems later.