Sleep Dentistry; Dental solutions for those suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea now available in Merritt Island FL

Have you heard of ‘Sleep Dentistry’? Hibiscus Dental’s Dentist in Merritt Island provides affordable, comfortable dental solutions for Sleep Apnea.

Do you wake up tired every morning? Do you struggle with weight loss, high blood pressure, brain fog, and snoring? All of these issues can be linked to your sleeping habits or your inability to stay in restful sleep. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is one of the most common sleep related disorders. Nearly 30 million Americans Adults suffer from OSA and are undiagnosed. This type of sleep apnea can be remedied through the non-invasive and affordable dental solution of an appropriately fitted oral appliance therapy – now offered at Hibiscus Dental.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts. This disorder can become very serious, putting those who suffer at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and disabling side-effects. There are three forms of sleep apnea; obstructive, central, and complex. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common and those who have this condition experience either a partial or full collapse of their upper airway during sleep.

Common Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) include:

  • loud snoring
  • awakening with choking or gasping
  • daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating
  • morning headaches
  • cognitive deficits
  • changes in mood
  • and finally the onset of serious, life-threatening health conditions

All these negative side effects of this sleep disorder can greatly impact daily routines and tasks, making even the simplest items on your to-do list a challenge.

What causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

Contributing factors may be upper airway abnormalities or the shape of the mouth and upper pallet. Studies have also shown strong correlations between weight, gender, and age on your risk for OSA. While obesity is common in those with OSA, simply increasing your weight by 10% makes you 6 times as likely to develop OSA. Men appear to be 3 times more likely to develop OSA than premenopausal women but the older we get the more our chances for OSA increase.

Traditional Diagnostic Testing and Solution for OSA

In order to receive an official diagnosis for sleep apnea by a medical professional, patients traditionally undergo what is referred to as a sleep study or a polysomnography. This is done at a test center where people are required to stay overnight and sleep, attached to machines and monitors that are meant to measure your brain, patterns of breathing, blood and oxygen levels, arm and leg movements, and heart and lung activity during sleep. The sleep study center can either monitor you for a partial or full night study. This traditional method of testing can be very challenging, especially when you are required to sleep in a strange, uncomfortable atmosphere attached to noisy machines with a bunch of wires.

A traditional solution used to help sleep apnea is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy. Most of those diagnosed with OSA receive this standard form of therapy. While sleeping, OSA patients wear a face mask connected to a machine that provides pressurized air through a hose. If a patient doesn’t respond well to the CPAP therapy treatment they are put on a bi-level positive air pressure (Bi-PAP) therapy, which delivers pressure at a more variable rate. Both of these traditional methods are expensive, uncomfortable, loud, inconvenient, and occasionally lead to the development of pressure sores and skin irritations. The traditional solutions solve one problem while creating others.

Modern Diagnostic Testing and Solution for OSA

Our modern testing for sleep apnea is comfortable, in comparison. In most cases, patients can now test from the comfort of home. These tests are faster, portable, simple and capable of measuring oral and nasal airflow, oxygen levels and respiratory efforts through the use of smaller wirings and monitors. Hibiscus Dental patients can take advantage of this very reasonable and affordable alternative by setting an appointment in our Merritt Island office to begin the process. Dentist Josh Gunnell has the training and expertise to interpret individual results and provide a non-invasive treatment solutions.

The modern solution we offer is a much more attractive solution for OSA or mild sleep apnea patients. Our dental solution involve the use of a mouthpiece, or more commonly known as a fitted mouth guard, or an oral appliance therapy. This is very similar to mouth guards used by athletes. It is small, more comfortable, easy to clean, completely portable, and make no noise like a loud CPAP or BI-PAP machine. You do not have to be attached to anything while sleeping using oral appliance therapy. Most importantly, a properly fitted oral appliance for OSA has been proven to be just as effective as the machine itself, in most cases.

Will Insurance Cover the Testing and Oral Appliance for Sleep Apnea?

The testing process and oral appliance fit for a patient is insurance-billable under a medical and health insurance plan, but is not covered under dental insurance plans. Most medical insurance plans provide coverage for sleep apnea testing along with oral appliance therapy. Give us a call and we can help you discover if your insurance plan covers testing and oral appliance therapy.

Hibiscus Dental is trying to raise awareness of the destructive condition of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and its impact on people’s health.

A faster, cheaper, and more convenient alternative to CPAP and BI-PAP is available now right here in Merritt Island for most sufferers of Sleep Apnea. Please share this with anyone you know who may benefit. Sufferers of Sleep Apnea may be just a week or two away from beginning to get a good-night’s sleep and the ability to recover to a rested mind and body. Health problems get worse over time for those being deprived of deep sleep. Sleep Apnea also affects the loved ones of those who suffer. If you are having sleep related health issues or suffer from sleep apnea, or if someone you live with does, give us a call to schedule a Dental Solution Sleep Apnea discovery appointment as soon as possible. You likely have many nights of great sleep and improved health to gain!

Call Merritt Island Hibiscus Dental for an Sleep Apnea Dental Solutions Consultation: (321) 449-9300

 

Citing Our Sources:

“CDC Awards Grant to American Academy of Sleep Medicine for Osa.” American Academy of Sleep Medicine – Association for Sleep Clinicians and Researchers, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 24 Sept. 2021, https://aasm.org/cdc-awards-grant-american-academy-of-sleep-medicine-osa/

“Oral Appliance Therapy.” Oral Appliance Therapy – American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, https://www.aadsm.org/oral_appliance_therapy.php

“Obstructive Sleep Apnea – Causes & Symptoms.” Sleep Foundation, The Sleep Foundation: A OnceCare Media Company, 1 Sept. 2020, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-apnea/obstructive-sleep-apnea

“Obstructive Sleep Apnea.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 27 July 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obstructive-sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20352090