> Treatment of Sleep ApneaGood sleep habits, weight loss, and exercise are some helpful techniques you can do on your own to reduce the severity or help to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Medical and dental treatments include Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Oral appliance therapy, and Surgery. |
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)CPAP is pressurized air from a bedside machine. The air is delivered through a tube that connects to a mask, covering the nose. The force of this air forces and maintains the airway open while you sleep. There a several different mask designs for people to try, however, many people find these masks uncomfortable and cumbersome to wear. The noise created from the machine can keep a spouse up and these machines can be difficult to travel with. It is for these reasons that many find they are intolerant of a CPAP machine. |  |
SurgeryGenerally, surgery is indicated when conservative therapies have been unsuccessful or intolerable. Surgery may be an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, but only if performed competently and on correctly identified anatomic sites that contribute to the airway obstruction. It is necessary to work with and ENT in addition to the Sleep physician to determine if surgical procedures are necessary. Oral Appliance TherapyOral appliance therapy is indicated for patients with primary snoring or mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Appliances are also and effective alternative for patients with severe OSA who are intolerant or refuse to wear nasal CPAP. Oral appliances are small devices that you wear while you sleep to treat snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. They are similar in size to an orthodontic retainer or sports mouth guard. They are comfortable and easy to wear and most people find it only takes a couple weeks to become acclimated to wearing the device to sleep. People like to use these oral appliances because they are compact, easy to travel with, and quiet unlike the CPAP. Oral appliances can be used alone on in conjunction with other therapies mentioned above. Oral appliances work to treat your apnea by preventing the collapse of the tongue and soft tissues in the back of your throat, keeping your airway open to allow adequate air intake. They work to reposition the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate, and uvula. They also stabilize the lower jaw and tongue and help to increase the muscle tone of the tongue. There are approximately 40 FDA approved appliances to treat snoring and sleep apnea. Oral appliance therapy involves selecting an appropriate design and then custom fitting it to your teeth. Dr. Planer will do a comprehensive examination to determine what type of appliance will be successful for you. There are 2 main types of oral appliances: Tongue Retaining Appliances and Mandibular Repositioning Appliances. |
Tongue Retaining AppliancesTongue retaining appliances function by holding the tongue in a forward position a by using a suction bulb. This maintains the tongue in a forward position, not allowing it to fall back into the airway. |  |
Mandibular Repositioning AppliancesMandibular repositioning appliances function by repositioning and maintain the lower jaw in a forward position while you sleep. This position maintains the airway open by pulling the tongue forward, stimulating the muscles of the tongue to make it more rigid, and preventing the mouth from falling open and back to prevent the collapse of the tissues. We use a variety of appliance to treat our patients. Below are examples of a few of the appliances Dr. Planer can use to treat your obstructive sleep apnea. Her therapy includes, but is not limited to these provided appliances. |
 Thornton Adjustable Positioner TAP®III |  SomnoMed MASTM |
 The Silencer® |  The Silencer® Custom I |