Sleep Apnea

Comfortable, Effective Sleep Apnea Solutions

Management and treatment of sleep apnea at your Carmel, IN dental office

Are you:

• Waking up frequently in the middle of the night gasping for air or choking?
• Snoring loudly?
• Feeling tired even after what you thought was a good night’s rest?

If so, you need to schedule a consultation with your Carmel, Indiana dentist immediately. These are symptoms of a serious condition called sleep apnea.

Identifying Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that may have serious implications for your health. Sleep apnea causes a person to stop and start breathing many times while asleep. Each time breathing stops, the brain and the body stop getting enough oxygen. This can cause harmful changes in the blood vessels, the brain, and the rest of the body’s organs.

Sleep apnea is associated with heart disease, depression, stroke, high blood pressure, and vehicle accidents related to fatigue.

There are severe cases where breathing stops as often as 100 times in one sleep period or where each breathing pause lasts for more than two minutes. People with sleep apnea typically experience fatigue and sleepiness during the day, anxiety, lack of concentration, and headaches.

You should also know that sleep apnea is very closely linked with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). If you grind or clench your teeth or are being treated for TMJ pain, it is important that you be assessed for sleep apnea as well.

Oral appliances for the treatment of OSA

The good news is that oral appliances and other mouth devices have been proven effective in treating and managing sleep apnea. Studies show that these appliances can reduce the number of sleep apnea episodes by as much as 60 percent and help patients get enough oxygen during sleep by keeping the air passage open.
Most patients with a CPAP are unhappy with that treatment, but CPAP can be incredibly comfortable if used correctly. While most doctors consider 40 percent compliance to be good, Dr. Smith is able to achieve 100 percent compliance because he makes treatment comfortable for YOU.

Oral appliances make all the difference.After you begin wearing your appliance, you will notice that your breathing improves over time. It will take a few months for your airway to heal from years of trauma caused by trouble breathing.

In cases of severe sleep apnea, we can use the oral appliance in combination with CPAP to lower the pressure on your machine and make sleeping much more comfortable!

At Really Smile, Dr. Smith can help patients with the diagnosis, management, and treatment of sleep apnea. If you have symptoms of OSA, schedule a consultation right away by calling 317-451-4050. You may also book an appointment with your Carmel, Indiana dentist by filling out our online form.