Breathe Easy and Sleep Better with Dental Sleep Medicine

OSA interrupts breathing briefly but repeatedly. Breathing stops for a scary 10 seconds, and these apneic episodes can recur up to a hundred times a night. OSA is commonly undiagnosed because the apneic attacks happen subconsciously when sleeping. However, continued fragmented sleep and oxygen deprivation cause several noticeable symptoms in everyday life.
These include:

• Waking up feeling tired and feeling brain foggy during the day
• Poor concentration
• Morning headaches
• Restless sleep and insomnia
• Anxiety
• Irritability and mood changes
• Difficulty concentrating

Approximately 5% of Australians live with sleep apnea. As mentioned, many cases are undiagnosed, resulting in far-reaching consequences. Untreated OSA increases the risk of cardiovascular complications, diabetes, depression, stroke, and other systemic conditions.

Can’t tolerate CPAP therapy? Our doctors have a simple yet effective OSA treatment. Dental sleep medicine offers an alternative solution for treating mild to moderate OSA using oral appliance therapy (OAT). This approach uses a retainer-like mouthguard to keep the airway open during sleep.
When sleeping, oral appliances reposition the lower jaw and tongue to keep the airway open. The devices are custom-fitted by a dentist to ensure comfort and effectiveness. Typically, this is done during an in-office consultation where the dentist takes your bite impressions with a digital scanner. Our dental lab fabricates your oral splint to the exact specifications of your dentition to provide a snug fit.