Sleep Appliances Raleigh NC
Snoring Mouth Guards To Treat Sleep Apnea In Raleigh
Sleep apnea occurs when you are sleeping and stop breathing temporarily. In the past, sleep apnea was only treated with a CPAP machine regardless of severity. If you have tried CPAP and found you’re unable to tolerate it, there have been numerous developments over the past 20 years to ensure patients have a variety of non-invasive options. To gain control of your snoring and/or sleep apnea, a serious lifelong health condition, come into our office to receive an individualized evaluation and treatment plan. We believe each patient has different needs and deserves personalized treatment.
We will assess your suitability for this treatment modality, using scientific methodology and evidence based medical technologies to determine your specific success rate with oral appliance therapy before you begin treatment.
Schedule your consultation today and find out if an oral appliance can help you.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common form of apnea, and it is caused when soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep and blocks the airway. Central Sleep Apnea occurs when the brain fails to send a signal to the muscles to breathe. This can happen due to an unstable respiratory control center.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Many people don’t know that they have sleep apnea. They come to see us because of a partner’s concern about their snoring and breathing, or they are experiencing these otherwise unexplained symptoms:
- Dry mouth
- Sore throat
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Excessive sleepiness
- Irritability and attention issues
Sleep Apnea Complications
Sleep apnea may be responsible for poor performance in everyday activities, including work and school, and car crashes. Sleep apnea can also lead to the following health problems if left untreated.
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Heart failure, irregular heartbeats, heart attacks
- Worsening ADHD
Levels of Sleep Apnea Severity
There are 4 levels of sleep apnea as measured by the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) including normal, mild, moderate and severe sleep apnea. These range in severity with normal being less than 5 apneic episodes per hour, mild being 5-15 apneic episodes, moderate apnea being 15-30 apneic episodes per hour and severe apnea being over 30 episodes per hour.
Oral Appliances for Mild to Moderate Sleep Apnea
We offer many treatment options for sleep apnea, beginning with conservative methods and home instructions before moving on to more significant treatments. Schedule an appointment with us in which we can discuss your sleeping issues and possible treatment options.
At-Home Sleep Test & Assessment
Your physician will order a sleep study if they think you have sleep apnea. Typically, you can take a test kit home with you and test yourself. At-home sleep apnea tests, or unattended sleep studies, are portable sleep devices that measure nasal and oral airflow, respiratory effort, and oxygen levels. This convenient and cost-effective method is an excellent way to obtain a diagnosis. After obtaining your test results, you can be fitted for an oral appliance by Dr. King if your apnea falls into the mild to moderate range.
Fabrication of Oral Appliance
During your first visit to be fitted for an oral appliance to address your sleep apnea, Dr. King takes a digital impression of your teeth to create a model of your mouth. You’ll return for a second visit once the new oral appliance has been fabricated, and we’ll make sure it fits and will achieve the desired results.
Using the Snoring Mouth Guard
Oral appliance therapy involves wearing a customized oral appliance, much like a mouth guard or orthodontic retainer, when you sleep to keep your throat open. In addition to helping with snoring, this effective treatment is a great first step for mild to moderate sleep apnea.
