Good sleep hygiene, weight loss, and exercise, are some helpful treatments a patient can practice on their own. Medical and dental treatments include Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Oral Appliance Therapy, and Surgery.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliances are worn in the mouth to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). These devices are similar to orthodontic retainers or sports mouth guards. Oral Appliance Therapy involves the selection, design, fitting and use of a custom-designed oral appliance that is worn during sleep. With an oral appliance, throat structures move out of your air passage, allowing air to flow freely through your throat. Oral appliances may be used alone or in combination with other means of treating OSA. These means include general health, weight management, surgery, or CPAP.
Oral appliances work in several ways:
- Repositioning the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate and uvula
- Stabilizing the lower jaw and tongue
- Increasing the muscle tone of the tongue
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Surgical Procedures
In addition to Oral Appliance Therapy, dentists who are oral and maxillofacial surgeons may consider a variety of methods to evaluate, diagnose and treat upper airway obstruction. These dental specialists treat upper airway obstructive disorders by utilizing both minimally invasive procedures as well as more complex surgery, including jaw advancement. Additionally, an ENT specialist may evaluate you for other types of surgery, mainly the removal of the excess tissues in the throat. It may be necessary to remove tonsils and adenoids (especially in children), the uvula, or even parts of the soft palate and the throat.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
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Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is pressurized air generated from a bedside machine. The air is delivered through a tube, connected to a mask, covering the nose. The force of the pressurized air splints the airway open. The CPAP opens the airway like air into a balloon; when air is blown into the balloon, it opens and gets wider. This is exactly how CPAP clears the airway. |
Determination of Best Treatment
Dr. Hogg has training in Oral Appliance Therapy and is familiar with the various designs of appliances. He can determine which one is best suited for your specific needs. Dr. Hogg will work with your physician as part of the medical team in your diagnosis, treatment, and on-going care. Determination of proper therapy can only be made by joint consultation of your dentist and physician and must combine objective evaluation of severity and patient preference.
Initiation of oral appliance therapy can take from several weeks to several months to complete. Dr. Hogg will continue to monitor your treatment and evaluate the response of your teeth and jaws throughout the whole process.
Dr. Hogg and his staff work with the patients and their physicians to reach the desired goal. If the patient has mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the oral appliance therapy is the treatment of choice. The use of oral appliances to treat sleep apnea has recently been approved by the Academy of Sleep Medicine to treat mild to moderate apnea or patients with severe apnea that cannot tolerate the CPAP machine. |
