Washington, DC Sleep Apnea Treatment
Have you recently discovered that your raucous snoring is due to sleep apnea? This common sleep disorder causes a person to stop breathing, or to produce shallow breaths, throughout the night. This reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain and can lead to some serious health problems if not properly treated.
If you have sleep apnea, you are not alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 18 to 20 million adults are diagnosed with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea results from the tissue at the back of your throat relaxing and blocking your airway.
The sudden loss of oxygen can occur several times each night, resulting in sleepiness during the day, lack of ability to concentrate, and other issues. This lack of oxygen to your vital organs can also cause life-threatening health problems including:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Memory impairment
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
Oral Appliance Therapy
At Columbia Dental here in Washington, DC, we understand patient's concerns with CPAP so we offer another type of sleep apnea treatment. It’s called an Oral Mandibular Advancement Appliance. It's essentially a mouth guard custom-made to fit comfortably, allowing you to sleep well. It works by moving your lower jaw and tongue forward, creating an open airway while you sleep. The Oral Mandibular Advancement Appliance allows you to sleep deeply, without interruption during the night.
There are many advantages of the oral appliance when compared to the CPAP. People like the oral appliance because it is:
- Convenient; you simply put it in your mouth and take it out
- Comfortable; it fits easily in your mouth, not over your face
- Portable; it’s small enough to take with you
- Easy to maintain; you simply clean one appliance, not separate parts
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are frustrated with the CPAP, don’t discontinue treatment! Instead, try oral appliance therapy from Columbia Dental, the innovative way to treat sleep apnea.