Sleep Apnea Treatment

If you need sleep apnea treatment, we can help. We offer treatments for sleep apnea in order to help you not to snore so loudly. Sometimes, a mouthguard can help so that you don’t disturb anyone while asleep. We can make custom nightguards to help you with your problem and ensure a better night’s sleep. Many people don’t like wearing a CPAP mask or simply can’t wear it for some reason. When it is uncomfortable or otherwise prohibitive to use one, we can treat you with oral appliance therapy. This is an alternative to a CPAP for those who have been diagnosed with anything to from mild to moderate sleep apnea.

These oral appliances are specialized mouthpieces that the patient wears at night. These mouthpieces move the lower jaw slightly forward so that the airway is more open during the night. These night guards are meant to be easy to use as well as comfortable. They allow you to breathe more easily when you’re asleep. It will also let patients open and close their mouths in a natural way so that you won’t have as many sleep interruptions as you might when wearing a CPAP mask.

Oral Appliance Therapy

Oral appliance therapy is a time-tested way to help those who have anywhere from mild to moderate sleep apnea. To get your own oral appliance for this therapy, We will fit you for a night guard that will be easy to use and comfortable to wear. These guards allow your airways to stay open so that you can breathe more easily during the night. And because it allows you to naturally open and close during the night, it will be comfortable and allow you to sleep better.

Sleep Apnea

What exactly is sleep apnea? It is a condition that many people have that causes the breathing during your sleep cycle to be paused or interrupted. This can happen several times during your sleep, and this may last for a few seconds each time or up to a few minutes. It is often caused by the muscles located in the back of your throat being too relaxed during sleep. It can also be caused by having a tongue that is too big for the jaw, and this allows for an obstruction of the airway and an interruption in your breathing.

When your breathing takes a pause as you are sleeping, it causes the body to gasp for air. This gasping will wake you up. When this happens several times during the night, it means getting poor-quality sleep and suffering from fatigue during the day.

There are a lot of symptoms that can be caused by sleep apnea. Teeth grinding, known as bruxism, is one of the first symptoms for many patients. You may also have teeth that are broken or chipped, gums that are inflamed, tooth surfaces that are worn, TMJ pain in your jaw, or cavities. Snoring can also be a symptom of sleep apnea, but it doesn’t mean that you definitely have the condition. Many people who snore are worried about sleep apnea, however, and sometimes it is a sign of the condition.

If you need sleep apnea treatment, give us a call to set up a consultation appointment. At North Florida Dentistry in Orange Park, we can help you to be more comfortable at night and to sleep better.