Are you tired when you first awaken in the mornings?  Do you experience sleeplessness and even breathlessness?  Do you snore so loudly that you wake yourself up in the middle of the night gasping for air?  These could be warning signs that snoring and/or possibly abnormal breathing is taking place during sleep.

There are many dental and medical conditions that can lead to snoring like overweight, a small retruded jaw, sedatives, allergies, alcohol before retiring or airway obstruction.  However, studies show that many times snoring can be a serious disorder called “sleep apnea.”  Sleep apnea is defined as a cessation of breathing for a period of 10 seconds or more up to thirty times or more a night.  As a result, they do not receive oxygen needed to achieve sound, restful sleep.  As you can see, sleep apnea can be dangerous.  In fact, there have been a lot of reports lately on the news about people falling asleep while driving which is causing numerous accidents. Most sleep sufferers look for an alternatives to CPAP.

The American Sleep Disorders Society took a major step forward by including dental therapy in their treatment protocol.  Using oral repositioning appliances as an alternatives to CPAP is an accepted part of conservative treatment can be very successful and should be discussed with a sleep-trained dentist!  Dentists work together with sleep specialists in rehabilitating patients with sleep deprivation.  Proper medical and dental team management is essential! The oral appliance is an alternatives to CPAP.

Patients who do not choose oral appliance therapy as an alternatives to CPAP only have two other treatment choices:

1.)  Surgery - Known as UPPP surgery, this invasive method of treatment is performed only in cases of severe obstructive apnea when excessive tissue reduces the airway space.

2.)  Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) consists of an air compressor and mask which delivers pressurized air through the nose while sleeping.  The biggest hurdle for using this method is compliance.  Wearing the mask can be offensive as well as claustrophobic. An alternatives to CPAP is the airway oral appliance made by a qualified dentist.

If you suspect you are suffering from snoring or mild sleep apnea, you need a screening to find out about the alternatives to CPAP.  It is an easy treatment that can make all the difference.