Do you or your spouse snore at night? Snoring is a very common occurrence for many people, and until recently it was considered normal. While it may be common, it is not necessarily normal. Snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that 22 million Americans suffer from.
Sleep apnea is a disorder that is characterized by airway blockage while sleeping. When sleeping, the tongue and throat tissues relax and collapse to partially block your airway. Sleep apnea patients stop breathing for seconds at a time throughout the night, and when your brain detects the lack of oxygen, you are drawn out of your deep sleep to move or change positions so that you can breathe again. This prevents you from achieving a restful sleep at night. It can also lead to more serious conditions such as stroke and cardiovascular diseases.
Treatments for Sleep Apnea
There are two categories of sleep apnea treatment with multiple types, brands, and models within these categories:
- CPAP. A common treatment for sleep apnea is a CPAP machine. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, because it provides the appropriate amount of air pressure in your throat to keep it from collapsing and blocking your airway while you sleep. A CPAP machine usually consists of a mask worn over the mouth and nose with a hose that is connected to the machine. If the machine senses that your breathing is abnormal, it will increase air pressure to correct it.
- Oral Appliance. Also known as a sleep apnea mouth guard or a snoring mouthpiece, an oral appliance can correct sleep apnea by providing COAT (Continuous Open Airway Therapy). The appliance fits over the teeth on the top and bottom jaw and serves to reposition the jaw so that it stays forward and prevents the tongue from sliding back and the throat from collapsing to block the airway.
Both options are effective for treating sleep apnea and helping patients stop snoring and get better quality sleep. Which option you choose depends on your personal preference.
Choosing a Treatment Option
Many patients prefer an oral appliance over a CPAP machine because the appliance is small and silent. A CPAP machine is noisy, cumbersome, and involves a bulky mask. A mouth guard is compact and easy to travel with.
What is the most effective oral appliance for sleep apnea? SomnoDent™ is one of the top brands, effectively eliminating snoring and other symptoms of sleep apnea. Patients report experiencing better sleep from the very first night wearing the appliance.
Panthera™ also provides other benefits, such as preventing bruxism (teeth grinding). Grinding your teeth at night can cause wearing down of the teeth, sensitive teeth, jaw pain, and headaches. It is also a sign of sleep apnea in addition to snoring. If you wake up with a headache or jaw pain in the morning you are probably grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw.
There are other brands and products out there that serve a similar purpose, but SomnoDent™ is comfortable, requires minimal adjustments, and is made of high quality materials that hold up over time and reduce odors.
Savannah Dental Solutions Recommends and Offers Panthera™
What is the most effective oral appliance for sleep apnea and where can you get it? Savannah Dental Solutions provides SomnoDent™ oral appliances to our patients. The mouthpiece will be custom designed to fit your mouth and correct your specific sleep apnea symptoms. You’ll get better sleep, feel more rested, and experience overall better health.
Call (912) 354-1366 or contact us today to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you get better rest with a sleep apnea oral appliance.
