If you snore heavily, wake up exhausted despite a full night of sleep, or have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), oral appliance therapy may be the comfortable, effective solution you have been looking for. At Madison Lakes Dental, Dr. Ellickson provides custom-fit oral appliances designed to keep your airway open during sleep without the noise, hoses, or discomfort of a CPAP machine.
Understanding Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles at the back of the throat relax during sleep, causing the airway to narrow or collapse. This interrupts breathing repeatedly throughout the night, sometimes hundreds of times, leading to drops in blood oxygen, fragmented sleep, and a cascade of health consequences.
Common signs of sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, morning headaches, daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Left untreated, sleep apnea is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and motor vehicle accidents.
How Oral Appliance Therapy Works
An oral appliance for sleep apnea looks similar to a sports mouthguard or orthodontic retainer. It is custom-fabricated from impressions of your teeth to fit precisely and comfortably. The device gently advances your lower jaw forward during sleep, which tightens the soft tissue and muscles of the upper airway, preventing collapse and maintaining an open breathing passage.
Oral appliance therapy (OAT) is recognized by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as an effective first-line treatment for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and for patients who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy.
CPAP vs. Oral Appliances
While CPAP remains the gold standard for severe sleep apnea, many patients find it difficult to use consistently. Common CPAP complaints include mask discomfort, air leaks, dry mouth, claustrophobia, and noise. Oral appliances offer several advantages:
- Comfortable — Custom fit to your bite; no mask or headgear required.
- Quiet — No motor noise to disturb you or your partner.
- Portable — Fits in a small case for easy travel.
- Easy to maintain — Simple cleaning routine; no hoses or filters to replace.
- High compliance — Patients tend to wear oral appliances more consistently than CPAP.
Are You a Candidate?
Oral appliance therapy may be right for you if you have mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, snore without a formal OSA diagnosis, or have been unable to tolerate CPAP therapy.
Madison Lakes Dental offers a convenient at-home sleep study to help evaluate whether sleep apnea may be present. Dr. Ellickson can help you through the process and discuss results and next steps with you.
The Treatment Process
- Diagnosis — A sleep study (in-lab or home-based) confirms your sleep apnea diagnosis and severity.
- Consultation — Dr. Ellickson evaluates your airway, bite, and jaw health to determine if oral appliance therapy is appropriate.
- Impressions — Precise digital or physical impressions of your teeth are taken to fabricate your custom appliance.
- Fitting — Your device is adjusted for optimal comfort and jaw position.
- Follow-Up — We monitor your progress to confirm treatment effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Dentists with training in dental sleep medicine fabricate and manage oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea.
Research shows oral appliances are effective for mild to moderate OSA and can also benefit patients with severe OSA who cannot use CPAP. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends OAT as a viable treatment option with demonstrated improvement in daytime sleepiness, quality of life, and bed partner sleep quality.
The cost of a custom oral appliance varies depending on the specific device recommended for your needs. This is a self-pay service, and Madison Lakes Dental does not submit claims to medical or dental insurance for coverage of the device. Our team can provide specific pricing and discuss payment options during your consultation.
A sleep study is required before an oral sleep appliance can be fabricated. Madison Lakes Dental offers a convenient at-home sleep study to help evaluate whether sleep apnea may be present. While Dr. Ellickson cannot medically diagnose sleep apnea, he can help you with the at-home sleep study process and discuss the results and next steps with you.
Sleep apnea is typically diagnosed by a sleep medicine physician or pulmonologist. Treatment may then involve that physician (for CPAP) or a dentist trained in dental sleep medicine (for oral appliance therapy), or both working together.
Start Sleeping Better Tonight
You deserve restful, uninterrupted sleep. If CPAP has not worked for you, or if you are newly exploring treatment options for sleep apnea or snoring, Madison Lakes Dental in Madison, WI can help.