Sleep Apnea Treatment

Chronic snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can do more than disrupt your sleep. They can affect your energy, focus, cardiovascular health, and overall quality of life.

If you’re struggling with loud snoring or have an obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis, our team can determine whether a comfortable custom oral appliance may fit your treatment needs.

Key Takeaways

Snoring is common, but loud or frequent snoring can signal obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), especially when it occurs with pauses in breathing, gasping, or daytime sleepiness.
Your type and severity of sleep apnea, overall health, and other factors help determine which treatment may work best for you.
Custom oral appliances help keep the airway open during sleep and may offer an option for certain people with OSA, including some who have difficulty using CPAP therapy.
If you have an obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis, Eagle Harbor Dental can evaluate whether custom oral appliance therapy may fit your treatment needs.

Sleep apnea causes repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. With the most common form, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), tissues in the upper airway narrow or block airflow while you sleep.

Your treatment options depend on the type and severity of sleep apnea, your overall health, and other individual factors. A treatment plan may include PAP therapy, an oral appliance, lifestyle changes, or medical or surgical approaches.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Snoring does not necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. However, frequent or loud snoring can signal OSA when it occurs with symptoms such as gasping or choking during sleep, witnessed pauses in breathing, morning headaches, difficulty concentrating, or excessive daytime sleepiness.

Talk with a healthcare provider if you or your sleep partner notices possible signs of sleep apnea. A proper evaluation can identify the cause of your disrupted breathing and help guide treatment rather than focusing on snoring alone.

A Comfortable Treatment Option

Sleep Apnea Oral Appliance

A custom oral appliance is a small device that you wear during sleep to help keep your airway open. Dentists commonly use oral appliance therapy for certain patients with obstructive sleep apnea, particularly those who prefer an alternative to CPAP or have difficulty tolerating PAP therapy.

Unlike CPAP, an oral appliance does not require a mask, tubing, electricity, or pressurized airflow. Because we customize the device to your mouth, many patients find it convenient and comfortable to incorporate into their nightly routine. Your diagnosis, treatment needs, oral health, and other factors determine whether an appliance may be appropriate for you.

How Does an Oral Appliance Work To Treat Sleep Apnea?

During sleep, muscles and soft tissues around the upper airway can relax enough to narrow or block airflow in people with OSA. Most custom sleep apnea appliances gently position the lower jaw forward. This position can create more room behind the tongue and help reduce airway obstruction. Other types of devices hold the tongue forward instead.

Illustration showing obstructive sleep apnea and airway narrowing

Benefits of Using an Oral Appliance To Treat Sleep Apnea

For appropriate patients, a custom oral appliance can offer several practical advantages compared with treatments that require a mask or machine:

Custom fit: We customize the appliance to your mouth and adjust it to support your treatment needs.
Comfort: Many patients appreciate the low-profile design and freedom from a CPAP mask or tubing.
No pressurized airflow: Oral appliances do not rely on air pressure, which may appeal to people who have difficulty tolerating PAP therapy.
Quiet and convenient: The appliance operates silently and does not require electricity or extensive setup.
Easy to travel with: Its small size makes an oral appliance convenient to pack and use away from home.
Potential symptom improvement: Effective oral appliance therapy may reduce snoring and breathing interruptions. Some patients may also experience less daytime sleepiness.

Oral appliances do not suit every person with OSA. An evaluation can help us determine whether your diagnosis, oral health, and treatment needs make this approach worth considering.

Already Diagnosed With Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

If CPAP has been difficult to use—or you’re interested in discussing another option—we can evaluate whether a custom oral appliance may fit your treatment plan.

Ask About Oral Appliance Therapy

Easy As 1-2-3

The Process to Your Personalized Device is Simple

1. Evaluate Your Needs

After an OSA diagnosis, we evaluate your teeth, bite, jaw, and oral health to see whether an appliance may fit your needs.

2. Customize Your Appliance

If an appliance suits your needs, we have one custom-made for your mouth and adjust it to support your treatment plan.

3. Follow Up & Confirm Results

We follow up to check the appliance’s fit and comfort. Your sleep-care provider may also recommend testing to confirm how well the treatment controls your OSA.

Other Sleep Apnea Treatment Options

Oral appliance therapy offers one treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea, but it does not suit everyone. Your care may involve one or more approaches depending on the type and severity of your sleep apnea, your health, and your response to treatment.

CPAP and Other PAP Therapy

CPAP is a common and effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. PAP therapy devices deliver pressurized air through a mask to help keep the airway open during sleep. Your condition and treatment needs help determine which type of PAP therapy may work best.

Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle changes may play a role in an OSA treatment plan for some people. Based on your health and the factors contributing to your sleep apnea, a healthcare provider may recommend reaching or maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol, stopping smoking, or changing your sleeping position. When you need additional therapy, lifestyle measures should complement rather than replace your prescribed treatment.

Surgery

For selected patients, a healthcare provider may consider surgery when anatomy contributes to airway obstruction or other treatments have not worked well or proved tolerable. The location and cause of the obstruction help determine which procedure, if any, may be appropriate.

Medical Management

Medical care may also address health conditions that contribute to sleep apnea. For example, certain adults with obesity and moderate-to-severe OSA may qualify for medical weight-management treatment. An appropriate medical provider can explain these options and determine whether they fit your health needs.

Ultimately, the goal is not simply to choose the most convenient treatment. You need an approach that you can use consistently and that effectively controls your sleep apnea.

Introducing the Fotona LightWalker Max

Laser-Assisted Care for Snoring and Airway Concerns

For selected patients, Eagle Harbor Dental may incorporate the Fotona LightWalker Max laser into a broader airway-care plan. The laser applies energy to soft tissues of the mouth and throat and may help reduce tissue vibration associated with snoring.

Laser-assisted care does not replace an appropriate sleep apnea diagnosis or established OSA treatment. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your healthcare providers may recommend oral appliance therapy, PAP therapy, lifestyle measures, or other treatment based on your individual needs.

Uses a non-surgical approach to treat selected oral and throat soft tissues
May help reduce soft-tissue vibration associated with snoring
Requires no incisions
May complement a broader airway-care plan for selected patients

Your symptoms, diagnosis, anatomy, and overall treatment plan help determine whether laser-assisted care may have a role in your care.

Ask About Your Airway Treatment Options

Fotona laser used for laser-assisted airway care

Comfortable amenities at Eagle Harbor Dental

Your comfort is our priority

Could an Oral Appliance Be Right for You?

If you have an obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis, your doctor and dentist can help you decide whether an oral appliance fits your treatment needs. Factors such as your diagnosis, oral health, bite, treatment history, and experience with other therapies can all influence that decision.

Having trouble tolerating CPAP does not automatically make an oral appliance the right choice. However, for an appropriate patient, an appliance can provide another way to manage OSA without a mask or pressurized airflow. Tell us what has made your current treatment difficult so we can better understand your needs.

An evaluation is the first step, not a commitment to treatment. We can examine your oral health, explain how appliance therapy works, and help you decide whether it makes sense to pursue this option as part of your sleep apnea care.

Request an Appointment

Frequently Asked Questions

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How do I know if I have sleep apnea?

Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea can include loud or frequent snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, witnessed pauses in breathing, morning headaches, difficulty concentrating, and excessive daytime sleepiness. However, symptoms alone cannot confirm OSA. If you’re concerned, talk with a healthcare provider about a sleep evaluation to determine whether sleep apnea is present and what treatment may help.

Would I be able to tell if I sometimes stop breathing in the middle of the night?

Not necessarily. Because breathing interruptions occur while you sleep, another person may notice them before you do. Instead, you might notice indirect signs such as waking up gasping, morning headaches, poor-quality sleep, or excessive daytime sleepiness. A healthcare provider can determine whether your symptoms warrant a sleep study or another type of evaluation.

Does snoring mean that I have sleep apnea?

No. Many people snore without having obstructive sleep apnea. Frequent or loud snoring becomes more concerning when it occurs with gasping, witnessed pauses in breathing, excessive daytime sleepiness, or other symptoms. Talk with a healthcare provider if you’re concerned about whether your snoring could indicate OSA.

Are oral appliances for sleep apnea comfortable to wear?

Most patients find custom sleep apnea appliances comfortable and relatively easy to wear. Some patients need time to adjust to the device or may need their dentist to make adjustments. Regular follow-up also allows your dentist to monitor the fit, comfort, bite, and other possible oral changes.

Can an oral appliance replace CPAP?

For some people with obstructive sleep apnea, an oral appliance can provide an appropriate alternative to CPAP. Factors such as OSA severity, overall health, treatment preferences, oral health, and tolerance of other therapies affect that decision. Your sleep-care provider and dentist can help you decide whether oral appliance therapy fits your needs.

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