Schedule a consultation with FishHawk and Apollo Beach sleep dentist Dr. Waterman today at (813) 642-6612.<\/p>\n
Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that affects millions of Americans. The word apnea literally means \u201cwithout breath,\u201d and that is what sleep apnea sufferers are. Periodically throughout the night a person who has sleep apnea will stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer during sleep. The soft tissues in back of the throat collapse, cutting off airflow, and oxygen levels fall rapidly until the brain signals for your body to restart breathing. Most people won\u2019t wake enough during these episodes to realize what\u2019s happening. Snoring, daytime sleepiness, and memory issues may be the only signs of an underlying problem.<\/p>\n
The traditional treatment for sleep apnea is to use a CPAP machine. The CPAP machine can be very effective. The challenge is that many people find that it\u2019s too bulky, inconvenient, uncomfortable, or noisy to use faithfully, and compliance is low. After all if you don\u2019t use it the treatment won\u2019t be effective. These patients are defined as \u201cCPAP intolerant.\u201d If you discover that you\u2019re CPAP intolerant or are beginning treatment and would like an alternative to the CPAP, Dr. Waterman offers another option to treat sleep apnea.<\/p>\n
Surgical intervention is another approach to sleep apnea treatment. However, since surgical procedures are by nature invasive and it can be difficult to predict the outcome for an individual patient, surgery for sleep apnea should be a last resort after conservative options have been exhausted.<\/p>\n
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, Dr. Waterman can prescribe a compact, comfortable, custom oral appliance, also known as a dental sleep device<\/a>. A dental oral appliance positions the jaw forward, keeping the airway open during sleep. Dr. Waterman customizes the appliance to individual patients to ensure a comfortable fit. Since it is custom fit to conform to the contours of your mouth, you\u2019ll likely become used to wearing the dental sleep device which is similar to a mouth guard in a few short nights.<\/p>\n Are you sleepy or sluggish during the day, even if you allowed plenty of time for sleep the night before? Has your bed partner expressed concern that you appear to stop breathing during the night or ever complained that you snore? These symptoms could mean that you suffer from a serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Dr. Waterman offers relief for patients with sleep apnea with conservative oral appliance therapy at his FishHawk and Apollo Beach dental sleep office which services clients in surrounding communities including Valrico, Lithia, Brandon, Sun City Center, Gibsonton,\u00a0 Riverview, and Ruskin.<\/p>\nSleep apnea could be compromising your oral health.<\/h2>\n