When you hear someone has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you might immediately think of the Darth Vader sounds of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP, machine. However, while a CPAP machine tends to be the most common form of treatment prescribed for sleep apnea, many people are unable to use it.
It can be because it is uncomfortable to wear or it just doesn’t work for you. No matter what your reason is, there might be another solution: oral appliance therapy. If oral appliance therapy is the right option for treatment of your sleep apnea symptoms, Dr. Sara can help. We’ve talked about this before, but with the availability of oral appliance therapy, you can get the treatment you need without having to “put up with” an uncomfortable mask used for the CPAP machine.
Let’s take a closer look at why oral appliance therapy from Dr. Sara’s North Scottsdale office might be the better option for treating sleep apnea.
CPAP is not always the best option. This is probably the main reason why you should visit Dr. Sara. While the CPAP machine is beneficial for a variety of reasons, it still might not be the best solution for everyone. Most people feel that compared to CPAP, an oral appliance is very comfortable and easy to use. There are even social reasons that make oral appliances very appealing. However, before treatment can begin, it is important to understand who is a candidate for oral appliance therapy and who is not. Dr. Sara and her team at our North Scottsdale office can help answer any questions you might have.
You can enjoy increased mobility. Oral appliance therapy is extremely convenient and comfortable. Lugging around a CPAP machine while traveling is not something many people want to do or can do and we understand that. Oral appliances are convenient when it comes to the need for mobility. Overall, these devices tend to be more economical and are generally a lot easier to tolerate and use. Still, there is no one-size-fits-all scenario and oral appliances work well by themselves or in combination with other therapies.
Contact Dr. Sara for treatment now. As soon as you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, you should find out if you are a good candidate for an oral appliance. The best odds of success are for those who have mild to moderate sleep apnea—your sleep doctor can help you with understanding what type of sleep apnea you have. When you are referred to a sleep study, it is important to be educated about all of the available options. There is very little downside to a properly fitted and adjusted oral appliance.
All too often many patients have said that they wish someone had told them about oral appliance therapy sooner. Contact Dr. Sara at AZ Sleep & TMJ Solutions in North Scottsdale for more information on oral appliance therapy and how this treatment might be a beneficial option for your sleep apnea.