Sleep Apnea is a disorder where your breathing stops and starts multiple times a night. If you snore loudly, wake up feeling tired, fatigued, or irritable all the time, talk to your dentist or family doctor to find out how to best diagnose this serious sleeping disorder.

Dentists who have studied Dental Sleep Medicine are able to use oral appliances to manage one type of sleep apnea known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Obstructive Sleep Apnea is when the muscles at the back of the throat relax. This then may allow nearby tissues and your tongue to slide back and block the airway, resulting in lack of oxygen to your body. Dentists can utilize Oral Appliance Therapy to help keep the airway open during your sleep.

Oral Appliance Therapy involves wearing an oral appliance (like a nightguard or orthodontic retainer) in your mouth when you sleep for the night. The appliance will reposition your lower jaw slightly forward and downward to keep the airway open. There are numerous designs of OSA oral appliances, and a trained OSA dentist will customize your needs.

Consult your dentist to custom design an oral appliance to treat your specific case of sleep apnea.