Do you or your sleep partner struggle with chronic snoring, sleepiness, or a diagnosed case of sleep apnea? If you do, it can be a relief to find out that CPAP treatment isn’t your only option. Rather than force yourself to endure the cumbersome and uncomfortable bulky machines at your bedside, ask our Sherman Oaks dentist about an oral appliance alternative.
Depending on the type of sleeping disorder you have, the airway blockage may be due to something as simple as the way your oral anatomy is positioned when you lay down at night.
With obstructive sleep apnea, your oxygen flow is blocked off due to the tongue and jaw “slipping back” and collapsing against the back of your throat and roof of the mouth (near your tonsils and soft palate.) When that’s the case, it’s your jaw and tongue that need to be moved instead of forcing air through the area.
When you see our Sherman Oaks dentist for an oral sleep appliance, he will fit you with a mouthpiece that guides your lower jaw forward. This prevents soft tissue collapse, promoting a wider airway when you lay down at night.
A CPAP machine works by physically forcing air in through your nose and mouth to your lungs. The thing is, it can make sleeping in the same room with someone else extremely difficult; whereas an oral sleep appliance is like wearing a special mouthguard. No one can hear it. You can sleep in any position you like. You can even take it with you on trips out of town without hauling a machine around in your baggage!
Our Sherman Oaks dentist has completed additional training in screening, treatment, and management of sleeping disorders like obstructive sleep apnea. To find out how we can help, call to schedule a consultation with Dr. Ron Nourian, DDS today at (818) 986-7531 or for further information visit www.RonNourianDDS.com.