Sleep apnea treatment, a comfortable, convenient CPAP alternative

Sleep apnea is an incredibly common sleep disorder estimated to affect one in every 15 adults in the United States – most of whom don’t even know they have the condition. Even more startling is that heart disease with sleep apnea as a complicating factor is estimated to take the lives of approximately 38,000 Americans every year. At The DentaLink inSt. Louis, Missouri, our team of dentists takes each patient’s health seriously and offers diagnostic and treatment options for sleep apnea that are comfortable and effective – without the use of a bulky, loud CPAP machine.  

Oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines were the mainstay in sleep apnea treatment for many years. While these machines effectively improve oxygen intake during sleep, they are bulky, uncomfortable, loud, and require access to an electrical source throughout the night. This leads to many patients giving up on their treatment, and thereby being at greater risk of serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and mood disorders.

Oral appliance therapy is an FDA-approved treatment option that is effective at treating mild to moderate sleep apnea. Using impressions of your mouth, a custom-made mouthguard is created for you that is designed to keep your lower jaw slightly forward throughout the night, preventing the airway collapse that causes sleep apnea symptoms. At The DentaLink, we have found that our patients thrive using this treatment option because it is:

• More comfortable than a CPAP machine because the entire appliance fits within your mouth rather than requiring a bulky face mask that is connected to a machine
• Convenient and portable, requiring no electricity and only taking up space that is about the size of a deck of cards
• Effective at reducing sleep apneic episodes
• Customized for your specific needs; there are many different oral appliances that are FDA approved to treat sleep apnea, and our dentists will help determine which is best for your needs

Get a better night’s sleep

Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea, but there are many other signs that you may have the condition, such as waking up frequently throughout the night or waking without feeling rested in the morning. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, we can diagnose the condition with a simple at-home sleep test and start your treatment as soon as possible to reduce your health risks from the condition.

Call The DentaLink today to schedule your evaluation. Call us at (636) 496 8584 (Ballwin office) or (314) 334-1474 (St. Louis office) for an appointment.