Sleep Apnea Therapy – Huntsville, OH
Get the Sleep You Need
It might sound unrealistic but getting enough sleep should not be a luxury. Instead, it should be part of a plan that you develop to ensure that your body and brain remain healthy day in and day out. But if you struggle with sleep apnea, proper rest may not be so easy to attain. Fortunately, Dr. Kevin Grill and the team at Northwest Family Dental Huntsville are here to help you achieve a better quality of life by using sleep apnea therapy. Call us today to schedule an appointment and let us help you take the next step toward a more fully refreshed and healthier lifestyle.
Why Choose Northwest Family Dental for Sleep Apnea Therapy?
- Partners with Specialists in the Area
- Dentist with Advanced Training in Sleep Medicine
- Various Treatment Options Available
What is Sleep Apnea?
Affecting millions of people throughout the United States, sleep apnea is a common disorder that prevents individuals from achieving adequate rest due to ceased breathing throughout the night. There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA). With CSA, the brain struggles to signal the body that it needs to breathe, while OSA occurs when an obstruction develops in the upper airway, preventing proper airflow.
This process can happen once or 100 times each night, resulting in blood pressure rising and lowering over and over again. As the individual suddenly awakens, they may likely gasp for air. As a result of the frequent interruptions that occur, OSA can lead to problematic symptoms, such as:
- Moodiness
- Chronic fatigue
- Loud snoring
- Inability to focus or remember things
- Low libido
The Dangers of Sleep Apnea
Living with sleep apnea doesn’t just impact a person’s day-to-day functionality, however. It can also have a devastating impact on an individual’s overall health. Many patients who suffer from OSA, which is the most common form, may develop cardiovascular issues (i.e., heart attack, stroke), diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, negative cognitive decline (i.e., dementia, Alzheimer’s), anxiety, and depression. Without proper treatment, sleep apnea can be fatal.
However, this common condition doesn’t have to lead to any of these problems if you seek the necessary care. Our team at Northwest Family Dental is here to help. By seeing a dentist in Huntsville, you can start breathing better and finally get the sleep you deserve.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
Once you decide to call our office to schedule a consultation, you will meet with a member of our team who will go over your medical history as well as ask about the difficulties you’re experiencing as it pertains to sleep apnea.
To ensure that you do, indeed, have this condition, we will partner with a local ENT who will set you up to undergo a sleep study. This will allow medical professionals to evaluate your sleep and breathing patterns to determine if OSA is the issue. If so, you will return to our office where we will evaluate the severity of your sleep apnea and recommend the appropriate treatment option.
Many patients find that CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy is helpful and produces great results. The pressurized air that is pushed into the airway helps to keep it open throughout the night, allowing you to get ample sleep. However, these devices can also be cumbersome for many, causing them to forgo treatment altogether.
For individuals who are CPAP intolerant or who only suffer from mild to moderate OSA, oral appliance therapy (OAT) can be an ideal solution. Our dentists will determine which EMA appliance will work best, as this help to gently move the jaw forward to ensure the airway remains open while asleep.
Only in the most severe cases will we recommend surgery, which is referred to as distraction osteogenesis maxillary expansion. This unique solution can help to address the root cause of OSA so that you can begin to breathe freely and sleep throughout the night.