CPAP Alternatives: How We Can Help
A CPAP is not the only choice.
Let’s talk about CPAPs and sleep apnea.
It is well known that a compliance rate for a CPAP is low. While they have improved them over the years by creating softer masks and quieter machines, the rate still is as low as 30% and ranges to 60%, making CPAP alternatives appealing.
If someone is using their CPAP less than 50% of the time, the benefits are very low and results will not be seen. While we do have some patients who absolutely love their CPAP, others cannot tolerate it. Plus, we have a lot of patients that travel for work and it is difficult to travel with a CPAP.
Early signs of sleep apnea
We know that a CPAP is the gold standard, especially for those with moderate to severe sleep apnea. However, if someone is not being compliant and can simply not tolerate it, we have CPAP alternatives. Being in dentistry, we as providers see some of the first signs of sleep apnea.
There are many signs and symptoms that may indicate a person is having trouble getting enough oxygen when they sleep. Here is a list of the most common ones:
- Signs of wear on the teeth from clenching and grinding
- Large tongue and/or tonsils
- Frequent headaches in the mornings/jaw pain
- Reports of snoring or unrestful sleep
- High blood pressure medication and/or anxiety medication
There are many more to look out for but these are the most common.
Home sleep study
A home sleep study can help determine if someone is suffering from sleep apnea.
Just because one of the symptoms listed above applies to someone, it does not mean they have sleep apnea; it just means we may recommend a home sleep study or talk to them in further detail about their sleeping habits and how they feel day to day.
About the sleep dental appliance
If someone has mild to moderate sleep apnea or even severe and cannot tolerate their CPAP, they may be a great candidate for our dental sleep appliance.
What it does is help titrate the lower jaw forward so that while sleeping, it allows a person to receive more oxygen. It is amazing the results we have seen and how much better our patients are feeling that are using the sleep appliance.
If you are struggling with sleep and feel terrible in the mornings, please contact our Dublin, OH dental office at (614) 799-5576 to learn more about our home sleep study and how we can help you feel better.
