As parents, the last thing we want to discover is that our child not only has one severe health issue but two. The realization is scary and stressful, to say the least.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that plagues millions of people worldwide, with many cases going undiagnosed and untreated. When you have sleep apnea, you experience pauses in breathing while you sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from 10 seconds, a minute, or even longer before your brain panics and awakens you so you can resume breathing. You may not always notice these awakenings, but they can happen hundreds of times during the night for those who suffer from sleep apnea. Your lack of sleep and interruptions in your sleep cycle results in consequences like daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, and snoring. While you think you may be able to deal with those, there are other, more dangerous effects of untreated sleep apnea, too, like increased risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.

For many dentists and doctors, the biggest obstacle to treating their patients’ obstructive sleep apnea is getting a sleep test. Patients must visit a separate office for a consultation before getting a sleep test. A sleep physician may also recommend a test at a sleep lab, which may be unnecessary and can lead patients to put off getting a test.

Do you think you might have sleep apnea? A great way to diagnose this condition is with a home sleep study. Don’t worry–you can have a sleep test sent directly to you and take it in the comfort of your own bed. Then, if your results indicate that it’s appropriate, we can connect you with a local dentist from our network that can fit you with a custom oral appliance for easy treatment.

Home sleep studies are a convenient and affordable alternative to getting a sleep test in a lab. However, while most people can take advantage of them, they are not for everyone. 

If you're a dentist who treats sleep apnea, you've probably heard this question more than once. Many of your patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea will likely have been to medical doctors for treatment. Some may already be using CPAP and cannot tolerate it. Others will have been to other dentists who did not have the education and training to treat this complex but prevalent breathing-related sleep disorder.

Millions of Americans are plagued with poor sleep. Night after night, no matter how exhausted they are, sleep eludes many people, and a blissful night of eight hours of sleep is a rare occurrence. Some people haven’t had a restful night of sleep in their entire adult lives, while others are just now having sleep-related issues for the first time.

In recent articles, we’ve discussed how to explain why dentists are treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and we’ve given some guidance regarding explaining what to expect with a home sleep study. Let’s now look at some of the most frequently asked questions about sleep apnea you’re likely to get asked during a new patient appointment.

Many of your patients may not get how severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is when left untreated. If their at-home sleep study indicates mild sleep apnea, they may not see the need for immediate treatment, and some people are likely to put off sleep apnea treatment indefinitely.

Before diving into what drugs may contribute to sleep apnea, it’s important to clarify that the upcoming list of medications has not been shown to cause Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the most common of the three types of sleep apnea. However, these medications result in weight gain and some other symptoms tied to sleep apnea.

We encourage you to never stop taking medication until speaking to the prescribing physician. The information contained here is meant to show you that sleep apnea results from several factors—medication is just one of those many factors.