At Dr. James C. Ross, Family, Cosmetic & Laser Dentistry, we know full well that snoring through the night, on account of sleep apnea, is dangerous to your health and disruptive to your household. As such, it is certainly not a sustainable situation, and you’ll want to find a solution to this problem sooner rather than later. Fortunately, we have become the go-to place for sleep apnea treatment in the Novi, MI area. In fact, as a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Ross is completely dedicated to providing custom solutions to help you get the restful sleep you and your family deserve. Today, we want to talk to you about one of these treatments, an oral appliance that can help bring your snoring and sleep apnea nightmare to an end. So, keep reading, and then be sure to give us a call at 248-697-2487 to request your consultation appointment.

Sleep Apnea Is No Joke

Sleep apnea is a more complicated issue than simply snoring like a buzzsaw. This problem occurs whenever you experience distinct pauses in breathing during your sleeping hours. People with severe sleep apnea can actually experience something like 30 pauses in breathing an hour. Your blood pressure rises at these moments because your body is in distress. This is why many patients with undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea face a higher risk for problems like stroke and heart disease.

Worse yet, sleep apnea can cause people to stop breathing altogether. If you’re a rock music fan, you probably remember Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. It is now believed that this legendary guitarist died due to complications from sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep apnea, and it occurs whenever something blocks your airways during sleep. This is the type that we can treat.

Treating Sleep Apnea At The Dentist’s Office

The standard treatment for sleep apnea is an intrusive machine called CPAP. The CPAP is still the gold standard, so to soeak, but too many people find the treatment uncomfortable and stop using it out of frustration. In fact, studies have found that about 50 percent of people who have been prescribed a CPAP stop using or never start using the device. That’s a real problem. The CPAP only works whenever you’re wearing a hose, mask, and more, so it’s easy to see how such a contraption could disrupt your sleep and those around you even more than snoring did in the first place.

Here’s some good news about that. If you have mild to moderate sleep apnea, we can likely help you alleviate the problem with a custom-designed oral appliance. The appliance fits perfectly over your lower teeth and pushes the jawbone forward to keep the airway open during sleep. Our patients typically find the appliances to be very comfortable and they usually report that they experience positive results within the first few days.

This Is Your Wake Up Call!

If you find our that you’ve been snoring or you always wake up feeling exhausted even after a full night of sleep, it’s time to do something about it. Call Dr. James C Ross in Novi, MI today at 248-697-2487 or contact us online to request a sleep apnea consultation appointment.