Sleep Apnea Treatment in State College, PA
Sleep Medicine has become a very important part of our dental practice. At Centre Cosmetic Dentistry, we pride ourselves on offering a team approach to dental and oral health care, and we consider our sleep apnea therapies to be just another opportunity to continue working with local medical professionals to prove the highest quality care for our patients. Sleep Apnea is a common disorder that causes breathing to periodically stop or become very shallow for ten or more seconds at a time, during sleep. If left untreated, it can cause very serious or life threatening health issues, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, lack of daily energy, impotency, and can even contribute to automobile accidents as a result of falling asleep behind the wheel. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea and would like to find out how Dr. Robert Jeanmenne and his dedicated team can help, we invite you to schedule a sleep apnea consultation today. During a consultation, we’ll discuss your diagnosis, current treatment plan, and discuss how oral appliance therapy may be a valuable addition to your treatment or alternative to other solutions. Contact us to get started today.
There are three types of sleep apnea, including obstructive, central and mixed. Of the three, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common. OSA occurs when the airway becomes blocked, primarily from the soft tissue collapsing in the back of the throat. In conjunction with sleep apnea, snoring can also be a result of a blocked air passage.
Sleep Apnea has historically been treated using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. However, most people are not compliant in using these devices because of lack of comfort, loud noise, and inability to adjust to the sensation of the strong air pressure. Also, these machines can be very cumbersome and hard to transport while traveling. However, one of the biggest reasons people do not use the CPAP machine is because it reduces the intimacy level between partners, and may cause one spouse to sleep in a separate bedroom. While CPAP therapy can be a very effective form of treatment if worn properly, Centre Cosmetic Dentistry is able to offer an AADSM approved oral appliance as an alternative. These devices utilize the science behind mouth to mouth to keep the airway clear. During mouth to mouth and CPR, the head is tilted back and the jaw shifted forward in order to place pressure on the throat to open the air passage. Oral appliances shift the jaw gently forward, and the extended throat muscles keep the airway unobstructed, allowing patients to rest soundly throughout the night.