Oral Appliance Therapy: Treat Sleep Apnea and Snoring with Comfortable and Minimally Invasive Treatment

Getting a restful night’s sleep and waking up refreshed can help you live a healthy life and take up everyday life challenges with ease. Unfortunately, sleeping disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or snoring can disrupt your healthy sleep. 

If you aren’t getting a good night’s sleep because of OSA or snoring in South Pasadena, California, oral appliance therapy (OAT) from Huntington Dental Excellence can help. Using a customized dental splint, Drs. Gin Goei and Sharon Gabriel will help you sleep more soundly every night. 

How you can tell you have sleep apnea

Apnea means sudden stoppage of breathing. So, when you have sleep apnea, breathing suddenly stops when sleeping. While the cessation is only for a few seconds, these episodes can recur up to a hundred times a night, denying your body the much-needed oxygen. Besides, sleep apnea results in several subconscious awakenings, disrupting your restful night’s sleep.

It can be difficult to diagnose sleep apnea because most of the symptoms happen when sleeping. However, certain signs may manifest the following day after a troubled night. The common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Morning headaches or migraines
• Daytime fatigue or sleepiness
• Waking up with a sore or dry throat
• Irritability
• Mood changes
• Poor concentration

Sleep apnea comes in many sizes and shapes, but the most common type is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This condition occurs when the soft tissues in the throat region collapse, partially or entirely obstructing your airway. OSA is accompanied by chronic snoring and occasional waking up gasping for air as your body tries to restore normal breathing.

Treating sleep apnea with dental appliances

Patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea don’t have to use surgery, hoses, and masks to restore their oral health. Our office uses oral appliance therapy or OAT to resolve sleep apnea comfortably and effectively. 

OAT features different devices, ranging from mandibular advancement devices (MADs) to tongue-retaining devices (TRDs). Some devices come with both features for an all-in-one solution. MADs work by repositioning the lower jaw when sleeping, while TRDs keep the airway open by pushing the tongue forward. 

Our office now has the revolutionary ProSomnus to treat sleep apnea and snoring. How does this device work? 

ProSomnus uses a customized mouthguard worn in the upper and lower jaw as you sleep. This device gently pushes the lower jaw forward and depresses the tongue to keep the airway open. The ProSomnus device is made from durable material, yet the profile is so thin you may forget you’re wearing the device. 

The good news is that you don’t need to wear the oral device all day — you should only wear a ProSomnus device when sleeping. However, you must use this treatment every night because you never know when the sleep apneic episodes will strike. 

Benefits of oral appliance therapy

Whatever the type of sleep apnea device, they have numerous benefits over CPAPs, which use hoses and masks to keep your airway open. The many benefits of OAT devices include:

• Customized fit for optimal comfort
• Portability
• Noiseless treatment
• Doesn’t require electricity to operate
• Minimal maintenance
• Ease of use

Battling sleep apnea or snoring in South Pasadena, California? 

Take control of your sleep by scheduling a no-obligation consultation with Huntington Dental Excellence. Call (626) 382-2756 or fill out our online appointment form to reserve an appointment.

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