Night Guard Sleep Apnea Treatment as an Alternative to a CPAP Machine

You might not be aware of your breathing patterns while you are asleep. But if you are living with sleep apnea, this condition could impact your overall health. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, suspect you have sleep apnea, or are looking for a snoring treatment, we are here to help.

At Cosmetic & Family Dentistry of Las Colinas, we offer sleep apnea appliances that can keep your airways open at night. Schedule a consultation with our team to learn more about this treatment option.

What You Need to Know About Obstructive Sleep Apnea

There are actually two different types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there are physical blockages in the airway, such as throat muscles that relax while you are sleeping. On the other hand, central sleep apnea happens when there is an issue with the way the brain sends signals to the muscles that control breathing.

Dental appliances aren’t effective for treating central sleep apnea. But if you have obstructive sleep apnea, our Cosmetic & Family Dentistry of Las Colinas team is here to help.

With obstructive sleep apnea, it means that the airflow stops at night because something is blocking the airway when you are asleep. For example, a large tongue, excess tissue, or large tonsils could get in the way. The result is a drop in oxygen levels, which causes the body to wake up over and over again so the breathing process can be restarted.

Sleep Apnea Treatment from a Dentist

Not only is sleep apnea disrupting your sleep at night, but it can have a domino effect and contribute to many other health problems: high blood pressure, heart disease, daytime drowsiness, depression, stroke, and more.

Our team can help with a custom-fit dental appliance that you wear while sleeping. This guard repositions the jaw and is a minimally-invasive way to keep the airways open at night. It’s often an effective solution for mild or moderate cases of sleep apnea and is an alternative to using a CPAP machine.

If you want to learn more, schedule a consultation with us at Cosmetic & Family Dentistry of Las Colinas. We offer a convenient location you can visit in the DFW area. Call today!