How do I know if I have Sleep Apnea / Apnoea?
While snoring is the more obvious sign of sleep apnoea it’s not the only symptom, also keep an eye out for:
Tiredness on waking
Daytime sleepiness
Gasping in your sleep
Sore or dry throat on waking
Headaches
Poor concentration.
While you may only be snoring mildly, these symptoms could indicate you need to investigate potential sleep apnoea. To diagnose, your first point of call should be a sleep clinic for assessment. From there, we can see if our oral appliance therapy is suitable for you.
Mouthguard to help treat Sleep Apnoea:
Oral Appliance Therapy (mouthguard) for snoring and sleep apnoea.
At Claremont Dental, we can help mild snoring and sleep apnoea with appliances commonly called Mandibular Advancement Splints (MAS), we commonly use the SomnoDent by SomnoMed. The aim is to push your lower jaw forward, thereby opening up your airway and causing less obstruction on your airway. MAS looks like a mouth guard and is worn at night while you sleep. Before you go to bed, you simply put it in your mouth – there is no need to wear it during the day.
We also offer the SomnoDent Avant, the latest device to be introduced by SomnoMed. It’s digitally designed for a slimmer, more durable device with a quality fit and finish. It’s SomnoMed’s slimmest, strongest and first milled device.
What causes Sleep Apnoea?
People When we breathe air is drawn through the nose and past soft tissues at the back of the throat. During waking hours, airways are held open by the tone of the muscles around them. During sleep, these muscles relax and in some people they may relax too much (or “collapse”), leading to obstruction of the airways. The obstruction to airflow may be partial or complete, and if air flow is interrupted by at least 50% for more than 10 seconds the condition is known as Apnoea.
What are the warning signs of Sleep Apnoea?
People with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) almost always snore loudly and can have other symptoms, which may include:
Tiredness on waking
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Choking or gasping during sleep
Morning headache
Poor concentration
Memory deterioration
Decrease in job performance
Anxiety or depression.
What’s the process for Sleep Apnoea treatment?
Correct diagnosis of the cause of sleep apnoea is crucial so that the most effective treatment can be offered. People who snore should ideally be assessed in a sleep disorder clinic before any treatment starts. Snoring and OSA may be treated using oral appliances (made by a qualified dentist), nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nasal CPAP), or surgery. Oral appliance therapy uses a dental device fitted in the mouth and worn during sleep to prevent the airways from collapsing.
How many appointments do I need?
After causative factors have been determined following a ‘sleep study’ with your physician, the dentist can carry out a thorough assessment of your mouth and teeth and may include analysis of X-ray films to determine if oral appliance therapy is suitable for you. At the following appointment, accurate moulds are taken of your teeth so that a customised oral device can be made to provide relief from snoring and mild/moderate sleep apnoea. At the final appointment the device is fitted to ensure comfort. There may be further appointments needed to adjust and modify the device to ensure optimal performance. The whole process normally takes a month from start to finish.
How much does sleep apnoea treatment cost?
An oral appliance aimed at treating snoring and reducing sleep apnoea costs $1800. There may be further costs for the examination/X-rays if these haven’t already been performed within a suitable time period. Private health care rebates should apply to all items of treatment but will vary between health funds, therefore a quote should be obtained beforehand.
Is there a payment plan available?
While the treatment will be completed in around 1 month, a Payment plan can be set up for the cost of the oral appliance and paid over 3 months.