Sleep Apnea Appliance

A MAJORITY OF SLEEP APNEA PATIENTS USE AN AIR-BLOWING MASK TO HELP THEM BREATHE WHILE THEY SLEEP. BUT AS Rachel Oesch  REPORTS, A SPECIAL DENTAL APPLIANCE MAY DO THE TRICK.

DIANE GREENWALD THOUGHT A POSTER IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE WAS MADE FOR HER.
  Diane Greenwald "Do you wake up in the morning tired- Do you have trouble concentrating- Can you fall asleep after lunch- (laughter) Has anyone in your life told you that you snore-"
A SLEEP STUDY CONFIRMED SLEEP APNEA, A DISORDER THAT CAUSES PATIENTS TO STOP BREATHING AT NIGHT. TO TREAT IT, DIANE USED A C-PAP SYSTEM, SHORT FOR CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE.
  Diane Greenwald "I certainly did feel better using it, but it was very cumbersome."
AFTER THREE YEARS, DIANE WANTED AN ALTERNATIVE, AND WENT TO SEE DOCTOR KENNETH HILSEN.
  Kenneth Hilsen, D.D.S. "One of the techniques for treating the most common sleep disorder, which is sleep apnea, is the use of an oral appliance."
THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE A SPORTS MOUTH GUARD, THE TOP AND BOTTOM ARE JOINED TOGETHER. THIS HOLDS THE BOTTOM JAW FORWARD, PREVENTING THE TONGUE FROM RELAXING INTO THE AIRWAY DURING SLEEP. 
  Kenneth Hilsen, D.D.S. "So if we just move the jaw forward, the tongue moves with it and the airway just becomes more open."
THE PROCESS TO MAKE THE APPLIANCE IS SIMILAR TO OTHER ORTHODONTIC WORK.
  Kenneth Hilsen, D.D.S. "We take impressions, we take special bites too, so we know where the jaw should be placed, and we send that off to the laboratory."
AND SINCE IT'S LESS BULKY, PATIENTS ARE MORE APT TO USE IT.

Kenneth Hilsen, D.D.S. "Compliance is very high, people wear them for years."
AS FOR DIANE, SHE'S NOT LOSING A WINK.
  Diane Greenwald "Now I get up, and after I stretch a little bit, I can move around and I feel invigorated from the sleep."
THANKS TO AN APPLIANCE MADE JUST FOR HER.
 

RECENTLY, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF SLEEP MEDICINE PUBLISHED GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF ORAL APPLIANCES FOR SLEEP APNEA. THE SLEEP SPECIALISTS SAY THAT THE DEVICES ARE APPROPRIATE FOR MILD TO MODERATE SLEEP OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA PATIENTS, AND CAN EVEN BE USED IN PATIENTS WITH MORE SERIOUS CASES IF THEY AREN'T USING THEIR C-PAP MACHINE.