Dental sleep
medicine is a specialized field of dentistry focused on diagnosing and
treating the cause of snoring, which is often related to the dangerous
condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Although many people
occasionally snore, for tens of millions of Americans snoring is just one of the
symptoms of OSA. While snoring alone is not necessarily harmful, sleep apnea
can increase your risks for severe medical problems including heart attack,
stroke, hypertension and cardiac arrhythmia among other conditions.
Dental sleep medicine
addresses the cause of sleep apnea and treats it in an individualized manner. Sleep apnea
treatment has long utilized continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
machines; yet many patients find these devices uncomfortable and cumbersome,
and discontinue their use.
Thanks to advances in
technology and a deeper understanding of the airway blockages associated with
obstructive sleep apnea, many patients who suffer from OSA find success with oral appliances. Oral
appliances can effectively treat many cases of sleep apnea by stabilizing your
jaw and tongue to help you maintain an open airflow during sleep.
Oral appliances are
custom made for your individual bite condition, and they hold the jaw and
tongue forward while allowing you to keep your jaw properly aligned as you
sleep.