Everyone snores a little bit from time to time. But if you are experiencing chronic snoring that is waking you or your partner in the night, you may be experiencing sleep apnea. To find out if your snoring is a sign of a more serious problem and determine if you need a sleep apnea treatment, call Nashua Family Dentistry at 603-546-7460 today.
Unlike many dentists, our Nashua, NH dentist office can provide actual sleep tests to help determine if you have sleep apnea. We may collaborate with a sleep specialist to examine your particular case, but typically these take-home sleep tests are sufficient in analyzing the problem. And you can get answers without having to do an expensive, uncomfortable sleep test at a lab!
Many dentists that treat sleep apnea exclusively offer CPAP machines to address sleep disorders. We still offer these machines for sleep apnea because they can work great for a lot of people, but many patients find them very uncomfortable. As a sleep apnea treatment, CPAP machines can also be more expensive than oral appliances.
You may be thinking now, “Okay, so oral appliances can be more comfortable and affordable than CPAP machines, but what’s the third perk?” Just think of those two details as a bonus and read on below for some elaboration on three advantages of oral appliances over CPAP machines.
Experience The Advantages Of A Sleep Apnea Oral Appliance
If you’ve ever used a CPAP machine, you may have some negative things to say about them. Over the years, patients have told us about many different types of issues with treating their sleep apnea with CPAP machines. Here are just a few of the complaints we’ve heard:
- Mask discomfort
- Nasal congestion
- A sore, dry throat, nose, and/or mouth
- Moving during the night and accidentally removing the mask or rolling over on the tubes
- Inconvenient for travel
Every patient has unique needs, but in most cases, an oral appliance can be a great solution for sleep apnea. Some patients also use them in conjunction with CPAP machines. But if an oral appliance is a good fix for your problem, you’ll be able to enjoy many perks.
For one thing, oral appliances are very portable because they are about the size of an athletic mouthguard. If you’d like to go on a trip, you can easily stash your oral appliance in your travel bag. You can even fit them in a small clutch or purse.
Even if CPAP machines are your preferred method of treating sleep apnea, an oral appliance can be a great option to have when you are on the go away from home. Instead of toting around a heavy machine with tubes and wires, you’ll just have your oral appliance in its lightweight case.
The second perk of oral appliances we’ll focus on here is that they do not require any electricity. A handful of patients have told us how frustrating it can be to turn their CPAP machines on before bed when it’s storming outside only to have the power go out in the middle of the night.
Because oral appliances don’t use any electricity, you won’t have to deal with anything stopping them from working in the night. You can even take them camping with you!
The third and final perk of oral appliances we’ll mention now is that they are silent. For some, the buzzing sound of a CPAP machine simply acts as white noise and is easy to ignore once you get used to it. But for others, the CPAP can be very distracting and keep you or your partner from falling asleep just like snoring can.
In order to ensure your oral appliance fits your mouth comfortably and precisely, we will take highly-detailed impressions of your mouth to make your custom appliance. When worn, your oral appliance will slightly shift your jaw, helping to keep your airway open. Oral appliances can also help prevent other issues as well, like teeth grinding.
They do take some getting used to, but before long, you’ll be enjoying your nights better. Considering you spend roughly a third of your life asleep, you should consider a custom sleep apnea treatment a sound investment!
Start getting better, more restful (and quieter!) sleep by calling Nashua Family Dentistry at 603-546-7460 to schedule a fitting for an oral appliance for sleep apnea. You can also stop by our Nashua, NH dentist office in person or use our convenient online form to schedule or ask us questions.