Sleep apnea is a disorder that interrupts your breathing while you sleep. This causes you to wake up repeatedly throughout the night, often without even knowing it, in addition to snoring heavily. The lack of sleep will start to affect your everyday life in a wide variety of ways, from feeling fatigued during the daytime to experiencing dramatic mood swings.
Without treatment, sleep apnea can lead to severe health consequences including heart attacks and strokes. That’s why it’s crucial to get an accurate diagnosis and develop an effective treatment plan before it’s too late.
In many cases, the first treatment recommended for sleep apnea is a CPAP machine. Connected to a small mask that’s worn over your nose while you sleep, the machine pumps a continuous stream of pressurized air into your lungs. This allows you to breathe freely and get the quality rest you need.
However, many patients don’t like CPAP because of its many inconveniences. The mask is bulky and uncomfortable, while the machine makes a disruptive noise and needs to be detached every time you get up. In addition, you have to sleep on your back for CPAP treatment to be effective.
As a result of all these factors, the compliance rate for CPAP drops significantly over time. That’s why Dr. Pooja Goel offers customized oral appliances to treat snoring and sleep apnea at our practice.
An oral appliance is a small device that you wear overnight while you sleep. It’s designed to gently shift your jaw forward and hold your tongue in place, ensuring your airway stays open and unobstructed. This will reduce your snoring and help you sleep soundly through the night so you can manage your sleep apnea symptoms.
For your comfort and convenience, all of our oral appliances are customized to match your unique bite. You may experience some mild discomfort for the first few days, but this will fade quickly as your mouth adjusts to the appliance. Rest assured, your appliance will fit snugly and you may even forget you’re wearing it after a while.
Oral appliances offer several unique benefits that CPAP machines can’t match, including:
Though CPAP machines are effective when used properly, many patients find them too obtrusive to sleep with. The machine makes a loud noise, the mask is uncomfortable, and you’re forced to sleep on your back.
Oral appliances are a minimally-invasive alternative that Dr. Goel can customize to your jaw for maximum comfort. They’re also small, easily portable, and allow you to sleep in any position you like.
There are various types of oral appliances available and the best one for you could vary depending on your case. During your initial consultation, Dr. Goel will evaluate your symptoms and determine the best solution for you.
In most cases, yes! Snoring can be caused by a wide range of factors, some of which have no relation to sleep apnea. An oral appliance will help to reduce your snoring and improve your quality of sleep, regardless of whether you suffer from sleep apnea.
If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, don’t feel like you have to settle for CPAP. Oral appliance therapy offers a more comfortable and convenient alternative. Call our office in Santa Clara to schedule a consultation with Dr. Goel -- it’s your first step to getting quality sleep.
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