OPTISleep Dental Appliances
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?
OSA is a common disorder that causes breathing pauses while you sleep. These breathing pauses may occur 30 times or more an hour. As a result, your quality of sleep suffers, making you tired during the day and putting your health at risk.
On top of that, you are often not the only one suffering — it can also affect your partner as well. Loud and consistent snoring can keep them awake at night and take a toll on their well-being as well.
What are some of the common causes of OSA?
- Enlarged tongue and/or tonsils
- Being overweight
- Narrow airways
- Aging
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack, stroke, or irregular heartbeats
- Severe weight gain
- Diabetes
- Sudden Death
Treatment for OSA depends on a physician's diagnosis. First, Dr. Sullens will work with you and a certified sleep physician to determine the severity of your OSA by conducting a sleep study. Once the results from the sleep study are reviewed by Dr. Sullens and the sleep physician, a recommendation for treatment will be made. Treatments for OSA can range from the following:
- Lifestyle changes (such as losing weight, quitting smoking, etc.)
- An oral appliance, such as OPTISleep, that is worn during sleep and keeps the jaw in a forward position, allowing the upper airway to stay open.
- Sleeping with the help of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. This is for moderate to severe cases of OSA.
- Surgery
No. Dr. Sullens offers an at home sleep study device that you can use from the comfort of your own home. The sleep study device is easy to use…simply follow the instructions provided by our team and return the device to our office the following morning. Dr. Sullens and a certified sleep physician will download and review the results from the sleep study device and make a recommendation for treatment.
