Sleep Apnea Treatment in Bonita Springs, FL
Dr. Conte is a Dental Sleep Solution dentist who has obtained specialty training in oral appliance therapy. She is passionate about helping her patients stay healthy, including when it comes to treating sleep apnea. To treat this concern, Conte Dental Associates provides sleep apnea appliances in Bonita Springs, Naples, and Ft. Myers. Call us for help in getting a good night’s sleep.
What are Sleep Apnea Appliances?
A sleep apnea appliance is a device that prevents the symptoms of sleep apnea. The appliance is worn like a mouth guard, gently moving the jaw forward to widen the airway. The result of wearing this appliance is relief from snoring, pauses in breathing, and other symptoms of sleep apnea.
Our Bonita Springs dental practice partners with a local laboratory that fabricates these devices for you. Dr. Conte takes images and impressions of your smile after you have been diagnosed with an applicable sleep apnea case. These items are sent to the laboratory, and the lab returns a sleep apnea device to us within a couple of weeks. We then have you test out the device to make sure it can be worn comfortably, and we give it to you to take home after making any necessary adjustments. By simply wearing the device while sleeping, you can be relieved of your apnea symptoms.
Are Sleep Apnea Appliances Right for Me?
Sleep apnea appliances are beneficial for a lot of patients, but not everyone can gain the best benefit from these devices. There are a couple of steps that must be taken to find out what treatment is right for you.
First, it must be determined whether the symptoms you experience are actually caused by sleep apnea. If you wake up tired after sleeping, experience fatigue throughout the day, or your partner informs you that you snore, see a sleep physician right away for a diagnosis.
Next, the sleep physician you see must find out what kind of sleep apnea you have and how severe it is. Apnea comes in three varieties: obstructive, where the relaxation of the soft tissue blocks the airway; central, where the brain fails to send the signals necessary to maintain breathing; complex, where the conditions of both obstructive and central sleep apnea are present. Apnea appliances are a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
Lastly, the severity of the apnea case will be established by a sleep physician and a home sleep test. This will allow Dr. Conte to determine which custom-fit, FDA-approved device will work perfectly for you. If your obstructive apnea case is mild, then appliance therapy may be right for you.