If you're experiencing trouble sleeping or daytime sleepiness, you might have sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Okanagan Dentistry in Kelowna specializes in dentistry for sleep apnea and offers various treatment options to help you achieve better sleep and overall well-being. The first step in diagnosing and understanding the nature and severity of your sleep disorder is to undergo a sleep study with a sleep medicine specialist. Your physician can arrange this referral and facilitate communication with us, ensuring a comprehensive approach to your treatment including the following:
Posture Modification: Changing the position you sleep in at night can help open up your airway significantly.
Weight Loss and Diet: Losing some weight will decrease the amount of pressure on your airway and lungs, making breathing easier. Avoiding alcohol and other sedatives in the evening will also help.
Surgery: Removal of some of the tissue in the back of the throat/palate can sometimes improve breathing but this type of procedure is often performed only on patients that do not respond to less invasive therapy.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP): A CPAP machine is quite effective at improving the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea if a person is able to tolerate it. It works by forcing air continuously into the lungs to keep the airway open. Some patients love this therapy but many do not.
Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD): A dental device designed to bring the jaw forward and maximize the opening of the airway. At Okanagan Dentistry we can work with your sleep medicine specialist to determine if a MAD is appropriate for you. Sometimes we fabricate a MAD which you can wear in combination with a CPAP to improve your breathing even more.
At Okanagan Dentistry we use a MAD called the D-SAD. This device is preferred for many reasons. It is the only dental sleep appliance that is 3D printed in a very thin, strong material that is both flexible and durable; it even comes with a 5 year warranty! It is also extremely adjustable in as little as 0.5mm increments to provide the lowest amount of advancement while still effectively opening the airway. Find out more about this amazing appliance from Panthera!
Many of our sleep apnea patients are unable to tolerate a CPAP machine. The first line for breathing issues during sleep is always to trial the CPAP and it is a very effective treatment. If you have done this but cannot sleep with the device you may be an excellent candidate for a MAD.
Take the first step towards a better night's rest by reaching out to our experienced team for a consultation.