Exceptional Sleep Apnea Treatments

Sleep apnea affects thousands of people, but the causes and symptoms are unique to each person. At Forney Family Dentistry, we offer personalized care for OSA, addressing your unique needs and personal preferences. We will begin with a careful diagnosis so that we can treat the underlying cause of your sleep apnea. Dr. Melina Morrison offers the state-of-the-art SomnoDent and MicrO2 oral devices, which provide comfortable, conservative, and definitive solutions to sleep apnea for most patients. However, we can also refer you to a specialist for CPAP therapy or surgery.

To learn more about the various sleep apnea treatments available at our Forney, TX dental practice, please contact our office today.

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

Before recommending a treatment plan, Dr. Morrison will evaluate your symptoms and examine your throat, looking for signs of a blockage or narrowing of the airways. She may also have you fill out a questionnaire, detailing your symptoms and other health conditions that could increase your risk for OSA. If it appears that you are at risk for sleep apnea, you will undergo a sleep study. This may happen at home or at a special sleep lab, depending on your preferences and on what your insurance will cover.

Oral Appliance Therapy

In most cases, Dr. Morrison will treat sleep apnea with an oral appliance. SomnoMed manufactures multiples types of oral devices under the SomnoDent brand name, including the SomnoDent Classic, the SomnoDent Flex, and the SomnoDent G2. Dr. Morrison also offers patients the MicrO2 sleep and snore device, manufactured by MicroDental Laboratories. Each of these devices offers its own unique benefits, and Dr. Morrison will help you to determine the most suitable option for you.

Your SomnoDent or MicrO2 oral device will be custom crafted to fit right over your teeth so that it will gently push your lower jaw forward while you sleep. This will tighten your soft tissues, keeping them from falling into your airways. It will be made of the finest materials and be extremely comfortable to wear. Most patients adjust to the devices quite easily.

A few weeks after you begin oral appliance therapy, we will do an additional sleep study. In this way, we can determine whether you are responsive to your oral appliance. Typically, this treatment is very successful. However, there are other options if it does not work for you.

Oral appliances are precisely crafted for a comfortable fit.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

A CPAP machine is the other common treatment for sleep apnea. This device will emit a steady stream of air, which will travel through a tube to a mask placed over your mouth and nose. The pressure will keep your throat open so that breath can pass through unimpeded. CPAP can be very beneficial. However, many patients find it difficult to sleep with this device. In our experience, oral appliance therapy is just as effective as and more convenient than a CPAP machine. We do not offer this treatment at Forney Family Dentistry, but we can refer you to a specialist, if necessary.