Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is characterized by interruptions in breathing during sleep. The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when the airway is blocked during sleep. Although nearly twelve million Americans experience sleep apnea, the disorder often goes undiagnosed and untreated. This can be very dangerous, so it is important to recognize some common signs of sleep apnea. These signs include: snoring, headaches, sleepiness during the daytime, tossing and turning during sleep, and choking or gasping during sleep. If sleep apnea is left untreated it can cause excessive daytime sleepiness that can lead to both memory and concentration problems. Sleep apnea in Santa Barbara can also cause cardiovascular problems due to blood oxygen levels dropping during apnea episodes. The decreased blood oxygen levels stress the cardiovascular system, which increases blood pressure. Since both of these issues can be quite serious, it is very important to treat Santa Barbara obstructive sleep apnea effectively.
There are no medications that currently treat obstructive sleep apnea. The most effective treatments in Santa Barbara are oral appliances, breathing treatments, and surgery. Surgery and breathing treatments are recommended for those who have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, while those that have mild to moderate sleep apnea are effectively treated with oral appliances. Oral appliances allow the airway to remain open while you sleep, eliminating apnea episodes. Oral appliances that are custom fitted by a dentist or orthodontist are the most comfortable and have the best success at treating obstructive sleep apnea.
SomnoMed makes an oral appliance, SomnoDent MAS, that has been clinically proven to be a safe and effective treatment for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. SomnoDent MAS is a custom designed splint that fits over the upper and lower teeth and is highly effective at eliminating both snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. SomnoDent MAS is comfortable to wear and still allows for the opening and closing of the mouth. Drinking and speaking are both possible while wearing SomnoDent MAS, which is not true of many other oral appliances to prevent sleep apnea currently on the market.
SomnoDent MAS is custom-fit, so it is very comfortable unlike many of the mass produced oral appliances used to treat sleep apnea in Santa Barbara. It is also small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, which makes it perfect for travel or other occasions when discretion is necessary. SomnoDent MAS is made of premium materials and is designed to last for years. The device comes with a one year plus one year extended warranty, so your investment in Santa Barbara SomnoDent MAS is well protected.
SomnoDent MAS is FDA approved for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. It is the only device of its kind that has been extensively tested in clinical trials and proven to be effective at treating mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
The choice of which treatment to choose when dealing with obstructive sleep apnea is never easy, but you can choose SomnoDent MAS with confidence. With SomnoDent MAS you are choosing a superior quality oral appliance that combines effectiveness and comfort so you can finally get a good night's sleep!
For more information about obstructive sleep apnea and SomnoMed, please visit http://santabarbarasleepdentist.com
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
How much should a sleep apnea dental appliance cost w/treatment?-
ANSWER:
Sleep apnea has more to do with breathing than dental. A C pap machine runs around 2 to 3 G.Dental appliances such as gaurds for grinding and such are good for your teeth but, they don't address the sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a suspension of breathing during your sleep that cause your heart to have to work harder attempting to get oxygen. This is the real worry about it.
If you go on a C pap, you will most likely stop grinding as well.
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QUESTION:
Does a dental appliance help sleep apnea?-
ANSWER:
Hi Murray!There are dental appliances that can treat your sleep apnea (as long as you wear them), and for some people they are very effective.
A dental device for sleep apnea is used to relieve upper airway obstruction and snoring by modifying the position of the mandible and tongue.
There are two types of sleep apnea dental device:
1.mandibular advancement appliances (MAAs) or Thornton Adjustable Positioner (TAP). The TAP is a medical device that treats sleep disordered breathing. It alleviates snoring and sleep apnea by holding the mandible forward during sleep to prevent the tongue and soft tissue of the throat from collapsing into the airway.
By repositioning the lower jaw and tongue, the oral appliance keeps airways open and prevents the appearance of snoring and apnea events.
2. Tongue retaining devices (TRD) - this device reposition the tongue in an anterior position by securing it with negative pressure in a soft plastic bulb that directly contacts the base of the tongue. Other type of TRD uses a suction cup that attaches to the front of the tongue, pulling the tongue forward to prevent the back of the tongue from collapsing.
You should know that there are some side effects when you use dental devices, such as discomfort, salivation, more successful in patients with non severe obstructive sleep apnea.
I hope it helps!
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QUESTION:
best dental appliance for sleep apnea?
what type of dentist does this and which appliance is best thanks-
ANSWER:
Any General Dentist can take impressions and send them to Great Lakes Orthodontic Laboratory and they will fabricate the appliance. It is called a Herbst appliance. I have never seen it fail. The devise is used for snoring as well. It is made to fit both upper and lower at the same time and it keeps your jaw positioned forward, keeping the airway open. There is some muscle tenderness at first as you adjust to sleeping in this position. I rec. Motrin for the first few nights. You can google Herbst.
I wish you the best
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QUESTION:
SLEEP APNEA - Anyone here use the Dental Appliance?
I'm wondering if anyone here has used one of these, and if it worked for you?
Or if you're a dentist, and you know how these work?(I'm not interested in any answers about anything other than the dental appliance. I know all about CPAP machines.)
OK, well if you know about the surgeries, I'd be interested in that.
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ANSWER:
The dental device uses gentle lower jaw relocation to move the soft palate out of the upper airway, effectively decreasing snoring in mild cases of OSA. It basically moves it forward to relieve this problem.
The surgery is recommended in more serious cases of OSA, moderate to severe. A procedure that I'd recommend you looking into is the Pillar procedure, where a few rigid cylinders are placed into your soft palate, making it less mobile. It's an office procedure and it's been shown to be very effective. You may consult a participating ENT in your area for availability. Research on www.restoremedical.com for more information.
I hope you find the solution that you seek, God bless.
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QUESTION:
Question about sleep apnea.?
I have moderate obstructive and central sleep apnea. My blood oxygen levels according to sleep study dropped down to 60. I tried the CPAP machine for a couple of months and finally gave up. And I can't sleep with that dental appliance either. BTW I am tall and very thin, medically I would be considerated underweight.I am looking to buy a pulse oxyimeter with alarm that would wake me when my oxygen gets too low, like below 80. Do you think this would work? Where is a good place to buy one?
Thanks.-
ANSWER:
I would think that would wake you up just as much as sleep apnea.Go to the place that supplied you with your machine and ask them to be fitted for a new mask. They have ton's of choices and there is bound to be one that will work for you. If you find a nice respiratory therapist who is willing to spend extra time with you, you can find a mask or nose mask that will work right for you.
Good Luck!
I've had sleep apnea for years and it took a while to find a working mask.
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QUESTION:
Does anyone have any information regarding tongue retaining devices for use with sleep apnea?
Although my sleep study showed that the AHI was reduced to around 10 an hour, the dental appliance is causing TMJ pain and my bite is totally off. Since my problem is that my tongue slides back closing the airway, I wonder if a device such as the Aveo might work. Any ideas??-
ANSWER:
Thats a tough one. Three people in my family have sleep apnea but I haven't heard any of them talking about there tongue assisting in causing the problem. I would talk to your dentist and your physician about what you can get. You could probably even go to Walgreens for advice. You could try getting a mouth guard to sleep in. Helps to prevent grinding and such. Hope you find something to help you!
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