Comfortable CPAP Alternatives
Sleep apnea is a medical disorder that causes your airway to constrict and interrupts your breathing while you sleep. This results in you waking up repeatedly throughout the night, often without even knowing it. Without the quality sleep you need, you’ll start to experience a wide variety of symptoms including fatigue, headaches, and more.
In addition to these day-to-day symptoms, sleep apnea can lead to more severe consequences such as heart attacks and strokes. That’s why it’s crucial to get an accurate diagnosis and start treatment before it’s too late.
The Problem With CPAP
Often, the first treatment recommended for sleep apnea is CPAP. This machine pumps a continuous stream of pressurized air into your lungs while you sleep, keeping your airway open. While CPAP is an effective treatment option when it’s used properly, many patients struggle with it due to the bulky, uncomfortable mask and the loud noise emitted by the machine.
To make matters worse, CPAP forces you to sleep on your back and you’ll need to disconnect and reconnect the machine every time you get up during the night. All of these factors contribute to the low compliance rate for CPAP over time. That’s why our Silver Spring sleep dentist offers oral appliances as a less invasive alternative.
Oral Appliance Therapy
An oral appliance is a small device that you wear overnight while you sleep. The appliance gently shifts your jaw forward to keep your airway open, allowing you to breathe freely throughout the night. With the help of an oral appliance, you can eliminate snoring and successfully manage your sleep apnea symptoms.
Each of our appliances is customized to fit your mouth perfectly, ensuring maximum comfort. You may experience some mild discomfort for the first few days, but this should fade quickly as your mouth adjusts to the appliance. In fact, you may even forget that you’re wearing an appliance over time.
Benefits of Oral Appliances
Oral appliances offer several unique benefits that CPAP machines can’t match, including:
- Comfortable — Every appliance is customized just for you to fit your unique bite.
- Silent — Unlike CPAP machines, oral appliances don’t make any noise and won’t disrupt your sleep.
- Portable — Trying to pack a bulky CPAP machine and mask is inconvenient, but the small size of oral appliances makes them easy to travel with.
- No Wires or Tubes — You’ll wear your appliance all night, without having to worry about disconnecting and reconnecting any wires or tubes every time you get up.
- Allows You to Sleep in Any Position — While CPAP machines force patients to sleep on their back, an oral appliance allows you to sleep in any position that feels comfortable to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Though CPAP machines are effective when used properly, many patients find them too obtrusive to sleep with. The machine makes a loud noise, the mask is uncomfortable, and you’re forced to sleep on your back.
Oral appliances are a minimally invasive alternative that Dr. Bassford can customize to your jaw for maximum comfort. They’re also small, easily portable, and allow you to sleep in any position you like.
There are various types of oral appliances available and the best one for you could vary depending on your case. During your initial consultation at our Silver Spring practice, Dr. Bassford will evaluate your symptoms and determine the best solution for you.
In most cases, yes! Snoring can be caused by a wide range of factors, some of which have no relation to sleep apnea. An oral appliance will help to reduce your snoring and improve your quality of sleep, regardless of whether you suffer from sleep apnea.
Visit Dr. Bassford For Sleep Apnea Treatment
Without treatment, sleep apnea can have a significant impact on your mental and physical health. Thanks to our convenient oral appliances, you can get the relief you need and sleep soundly through the night. Call our dental office in Silver Spring, MD at (301) 593-5500 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Bassford.