How does our team offer a diagnosis for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? To find out if you benefit from a custom-made sleep appliance, then our team will use a home sleep test, one that employs the advanced pulse oximeter device. In today’s blog, your Greenville, TX, dentist will talk about the benefits of this process, and of finally treating your OSA.
Signs of Possible Sleep Issues
How do you know if you have a disorder that impacts your ability to sleep? With OSA, you actually stop breathing several times in the night, as soft tissues in your throat and the rear of your mouth collapses and cuts off airflow for a few seconds. Even if you don’t recall waking or the cessation of breathing, this could happen enough to interrupt your cycle and keep you feeling tired and exhausted. In fact, common symptoms include daytime drowsiness, chronic snoring, dry mouth, irritation, depression, waking suddenly in the night gasping for air or choking, or difficulty staying focused on tasks at work or school. If one or more of these potential warning signs reflects your experiences, then please give us a call.
The Pulse Oximeter Device
We start with a simple assessment to find out if you experience common symptoms or have risk factors for a disorder like OSA. If so, then the next step is an at-home diagnosis. We send you home with the pulse oximeter device, which sits at your beside and records valuable data about your resting habits. The device will take note of when you stop breathing, your blood-oxygen levels, and other factors. When we examine the results, we will be able to see if you need treatment with precision and accuracy. For some however, we may still suggest a physician ordered lab test.
Creating Your Custom Sleep Appliance
If we find out you need treatment, then our team won’t prescribe a loud and uncomfortable CPAP machine. Instead, with digital scanning technology we will take detailed images and measurements of your smile, enabling us to design and custom-fit an appliance that fits like a mouthguard. The device is worn as you sleep, and will actually move your jaw forward slightly, a tiny change that could prevent cessation of breathing, the collapse of soft tissues, and help you avoid symptoms of OSA. You also avoid long-term complications, such as a strained immune system or heart health issues. If you have any questions about our home sleep test, then contact our team today.
Smith Family Dentistry in Greenville Treats OSA
At Smith Family Dentistry, we would like to help you enjoy a better quality of life. To learn more about how we treat issues resting, then talk to Dental Sleep Solutions of Greenville by contacting our office at 903-455-0516.