If you are a Philadelphia area sleep apnea patient, Dr. Andrew Cohen may recommend oral appliance therapy to help you manage your condition so that you can breathe easily while asleep and get the rest you need. Oral appliances are typically recommended for mild to moderate sleep apnea and work by keeping your airways open while you sleep. They may also be recommended for patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea who cannot tolerate CPAP devices.
Oral appliance therapy involves wearing a removable oral appliance in your mouth. Your appliance fits similar to how a sports mouth guard or an orthodontic retainer would and is custom-designed for your mouth in order to provide you with a solution that is both comfortable and effective.
There are two main types of oral appliances used to treat sleep apnea. The first is known as a mandibular repositioning device. This type of appliance works to hold your lower jaw forward and slightly down, keeping your airways open while you sleep. The second type of oral appliance is known as a tongue retaining device and works to keep your tongue in place, preventing it from rolling back in your mouth and blocking your airways. Both types of appliances allow you to breathe easily and continuously throughout the night.
There are several benefits to using an oral appliance to treat sleep apnea. For one thing, oral appliances are much less invasive. They are small, compact, and discreet. Another benefit is that no additional equipment is required. For example, a CPAP device requires a mask as well as an outlet so that you can plug it in. With an oral appliance, you can simply slip your appliance into your mouth to begin benefiting from your treatment.
The best benefit of all, is that spouses everywhere tell us that we have helped to Stop the Snore, and now both people are getting a health night’s sleep!
We invite you to call the Philadelphia dental office of Andrew Cohen, DMD today at (215) 876-2683 to schedule your consultation with our dentist and find out if oral appliance therapy in our Jenkintown, Pennsylvania office is right for you.