Sleep Apnea Treatment in Berkeley, CA
While sleep apnea is a dangerous medical condition, it can also be effectively treated with help from a dentist. Dr. James T. White and Dr. David C. Yongue provide sleep apnea dentistry in Southside Berkeley, CA to help patients enjoy better overall health and finally get a good night’s sleep.
Why Visit a Dentist to Treat your Sleep Apnea?
One of the more common causes of sleep apnea is the blockage of airways when oral tissue relaxes and covers the back of the throat. This makes it difficult to move air freely in and out of your system, which is what makes patients wake up gasping multiple times during the night. Though this is troubling, advancements in dental technology have made therapy for sleep apnea possible with the use of an oral appliance.
These devices are meant to slightly protrude the lower jaw and hold it in a position that prevents soft tissue from collapsing and covering the throat. As consistent compliance with treatment is what contributes to better quality of sleep and feelings of wellness, sleep apnea oral appliances are often patients’ preferred treatment method, compared to a CPAP machine.
Sleep Apnea Oral Appliances in Berkeley, CA
Treatment can begin once a sleep study or a visit to your primary care physician has confirmed a diagnosis and offered insight into the severity of your condition. Patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea are ideal candidates for sleep apnea oral appliances. To provide you with a custom-fitted orthotic to correct sleep-disordered breathing, Drs. White and Yongue help patients with all of the following:
Taking Impressions of your Smile – Your oral appliance is made to fit snugly and feel comfortable through the use of accurate dental impressions that are then sent to a trusted dental lab that specializes in sleep apnea appliances.
Fabrication of your Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard – Depending on the device selected for your needs, your impressions are sent to the laboratory that produces these orthotics. Your mouth guard is custom designed for you; sleep apnea therapy is not a one-size-fits-all treatment at our office.
Getting Used to your Sleep Apnea Device – Our sleep apnea dentists will show you how the device is worn, once it has been completed and sent back to our office. We advise patients on what they can expect when wearing the device and best practices for getting best results out of oral appliance therapy. While it may take some time to acclimate to wearing your device, many patients report that this is a more comfortable process than wearing a CPAP machine.
Our patients truly appreciate the portability and comfortability of oral appliances to treat sleep disordered breathing. With this treatment, there is no forced air, bulky equipment, or cumbersome gear that straps over your head while trying to sleep.
Schedule your Oral Appliance Consultation Today
If you have questions about comfortable treatment for sleep apnea, and alternatives to the CPAP machine, contact James T. White, DDS and David C. Yongue, DDS today to learn more about sleep apnea dentistry in Southside Berkeley.