Oral Appliances Can Reduce Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Do you suffer from sleep apnea? Are you aware that there are oral appliances that can reduce or eliminate the effects of sleep apnea? Here's a brief overview of several commonly used appliances.
How Oral Appliances Help Sleep Apnea Symptoms
In sleep apnea, the muscles in the throat may relax too much, which narrows the airway significantly. The tongue may also collapse, or fold back, thereby closing off the air passage and interrupting the normal flow of breathing. This is a serious condition, one that may affect vital organs like the brain and heart. Oral appliances have been shown to provide positive results in sleep apnea patients by controlling the movement of the tongue or by repositioning the lower jaw to allow the airways to stay open. Sometimes, all a person may need is an oral appliance to help their sleep apnea symptoms, but most often, they are used in conjunction with a Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machine. To determine if an oral appliance is right for you, both your medical doctor and your dentist should evaluate your condition. However, it's vital that you choose a dentist that has experience in fitting these oral appliances. Not every dentist does, and a poorly fitted appliance can cause additional problems.
Types of Oral Appliances
With over forty different types of oral appliances available to help sleep apnea symptoms, you may feel overwhelmed at first. But your dentist will explain that the principles used in these devices fall into two general categories, which should make your selection much easier. Basically, oral appliances are categorized by how they work or by their specific design.
The two most widely used devices are tongue retaining appliances and mandibular repositioning appliances. Their names are descriptive enough to give you the basic idea of how they work. With a tongue retaining appliance, a retainer holds the tongue in a forward position, which stops the back of the tongue from collapsing during sleep. The second type of device puts the lower jaw in a protruded position to keep the airway open. Both of these oral appliances have been shown to be successful in treating sleep apnea patients.
Find the Right Dentist
This step in getting an oral appliance cannot be stressed enough. The dentist you choose must have specific knowledge in this area. Your nasal passages and airways will be thoroughly examined with a diagnostic tool that uses sound waves. This will give the dentist a complete picture and will enable the oral appliance to be correctly fitted.
