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Snoring Treatment Options In Santa Barbara

Your Dentist May be Able to Help You Stop Snoring

People wouldn’t normally think that their dentist would be the person to discuss snoring with but there are customized oral appliances that can help with snoring. Snoring could be a by-product of sleep apnea and in mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea, an oral appliance available from your dentist could be the answer to your snoring problem.

In addition to snoring, sleep apnea could be interfering with your ability to get a good night’s sleep. You might not realize this but you could be gasping to breathe dozens or even hundreds of times per night and this might be doing more than keeping your spouse awake at night. It could raise your risk for heart problems and other illnesses. Santa Barbara dentist Dr. Mark T. Weiser is a dentist trained in dentistry solutions for sleep disorders.

How Oral Appliances Stop Snoring

Oral appliances look like sports mouth guards and they are designed to help keep your airways open while you sleep. Obstructed airways are the top cause of snoring. Oral appliances may not be enough for severe sleep apnea sufferers, though. If you aren’t sure if your snoring is a result of sleep apnea or if you are not sure how severe your sleep apnea is, it’s important to talk to your dentist or doctor about arranging a sleep study to assess your condition and determine the best solution for your needs.

Many sleep apnea sufferers are prescribed a CPAP machine from their doctor. While this is a highly effective solution with a near 100% success rate, this machine is difficult to sleep with so a large portion of people are non-compliant, only using it occasionally. Snoring devices are CPAP alternatives to stop snoring by keeping airways open. They are increasing in popularity due to the fact that they are comfortable, portable, durable, and highly-effective.

Sleep Apnea Devices

At Dr. Mark T. Weiser’s Santa Barbara dental office, there are a number of options for treating mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea. With all of these choices, how can you be sure you have the best and most effective treatment? One way you can be confident you are getting the best solution is to consult sleep apnea dentist, Dr. Mark T Weiser.

Dr. Weiser can perform a thorough evaluation of your situation, and, working with a sleep center, can help determine the severity of your sleep apnea. If Dr. Weiser recommends a dental sleep apnea device, his goal will be to find the most effective sleep apnea device for you.

Factors that Can Affect a Sleep Apnea Device Recommendation:

Some factors that may affect his recommendation:

  • The size of your mouth and jaw

  • The severity of your obstructive sleep apnea

  • The optimal jaw position that could improve your breathing

  • Any other TMJ / TMD problems you may have

  • Whether you have a history of jaw-clenching

Obstructive Sleep Apnea can be improved through weight loss (diet, exercise, and/or bariatric surgery), CPAP machines, oral surgery, or more preferably Oral Appliance Therapy (sleep apnea appliances made by a trained dentist).

Dr. Weiser is able to treat his Sleep Apnea patients in Santa Barbara with any the following appliances:

Narval™ CC – Is a mandibular repositioning device (MRD) that’s designed specifically for the treatment of adult obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

SomnoMed – The SomnoDent MAS sleep apnea appliance can be highly effective for sleep apnea sufferers who may have a large jaw arch. The SomnoDent is a sturdier design and can hold up against teeth clenching.

EMA® – The EMA Custom oral sleep apnea appliance treats mild to moderate snoring. It is more effective for borderline sleep apneics.

TAP® 3 – Made by AMI (Airway Management, Inc.), the TAP 3 is an oral appliance for treating sleep apnea that is smaller than the SomnoMed but it endures more pressure than the EMA and Silent Nite options. The TAP 3 provides more clearance for your tongue, and Dr. Weiser can often get a more custom fit to your teeth with this appliance.

TAP®-PAP – The TAP-PAP, by AMI, is an oral appliance that combines oral sleep apnea therapy with the same technology as the popular CPAP machine. This device attaches to a pressurized CPAP air hose, allowing the patient to avoid a mask that can leave you feeling claustrophobic and operate the machine at a lower pressure setting than a CPAP machine.

TRD / TSD – A TRD (Tongue Retentive Device or TSD: Tongue Stabilization Device) is useful for TMJ patients. This is because it can be difficult for TMJ sufferers to open their jaw wide or to move it forward. This appliance enables more optimal tongue placement and is useful for patients who wear dentures and for patients with larger than average tongues.

Herbst – The Herbst is another sleep apnea option for our patients. This device can help increase vertical and anterior/posterior position of the jaw. The Herbst is less bulky than some of the other appliances.

Silent Nite® – Glidewell Laboratories produces the Silent Nite appliance. It is similar to the EMA Custom, yet is recommended solely for the treatment of snoring without sleep apnea.

After you have been screened for sleep apnea, Dr. Weiser can help you overcome sleep apnea and snoring with a custom dental sleep apnea device. If you live in Santa Barbara and you’re interested in sleep apnea devices, call (805) 899-3600.

Alternatives to CPAP

Santa Barbara CPAP Alternatives for Sleep Apnea

When most people think about sleep apnea treatment they think about CPAP, (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) a machine with hoses that you wear while asleep to stop snoring and stop airway obstruction. Sleep apnea treatment is important but not all people with obstructive sleep apnea need the CPAP machine because alternatives could work just as well. Oral appliances that are designed to keep airways open could be a much more comfortable alternative that helps you get the deep, restful sleep your body needs as well as helps stop snoring.

The Problem with CPAP for Sleep Apnea

While the CPAP treatment is the most commonly prescribed sleep apnea treatment and it has a nearly 100% success rate, it’s wildly unpopular. It needs to be worn every night and not only is it uncomfortable but the straps that hold the mask in place can cause facial rashes. It requires the wearer to sleep on their back and for the vast majority of users, sleeping on their stomach or their side is preferable. Many people only wear their CPAP machine for part of the night, which reduces the success rate and leads them back to the original problem — snoring and sleeplessness.

CPAP alternatives, such as oral appliances customized and fitted by your dentist, could be a better solution for those with mild to moderate sleep apnea. They are small, comfortable, durable, and you can talk and drink while wearing them as well as the benefit of sleeping in your desired position.

SomnoMed

Somnomed Sleep Apnea Oral Appliances

SomnoMed is a proven sleep apnea treatment for mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea. This small palm-sized device is an alternative to CPAP machines for many. To find out if you are a good candidate for Somnomed, make an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Mark T. Weiser, a Santa Barbara dentist specialized in a variety of dental areas including cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentistry, and sleep apnea treatment.

Somnomed Santa Barbara Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep apnea is about more than snoring. It impacts your sleep and this can have far-reaching effects. Sleep apnea affects millions of Americans and many undiagnosed cases do not realize that many of their health problems relate directly to the lack of restful sleep caused by waking up dozens to hundreds of times per night gasping for air.

If you want to stop snoring and get a more restful sleep, sleep apnea treatments like the SomnoMed could be just what you need. This CPAP alternative isn’t right for everyone but Dr. Weiser would be happy to review your case and make a recommendation that could include SomnoMed or another oral appliance for sleep apnea. Your oral appliance will be customized to fit your mouth.

SomnoMed Benefits

This FDA-approved sleep apnea treatment appliance is small, durable, comfortable, lets you open and close your mouth, allows you to speak and drink while wearing it, and SomnoMed is proven to stop snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in mild to moderate sleep apnea cases.

Orthodontic Treatments for Sleep Apnea

How Can Orthodontic Treatment Help Sleep Apnea?

There are a number of available treatment options for sleep apnea and some of these may be available from your dentist’s office. Santa Barbara dentist Dr. Mark T. Weiser sees a number of patients related to sleep breathing disorders. While many people use a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, there are other options, including orthodontic treatment options that could help.

Orthodontic Treatments to Improve Sleep Apnea

How can braces for sleep apnea help? Orthodontic treatments could correct jaw positioning problems that impact your ability to breathe well while sleeping by widening your breathing airway. Whether your jaw position has altered over time or was something you were born with, this could make a marked difference in your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep Breathing Problems after Orthodontic Treatment

Conversely, orthodontic treatments that are designed to straighten your teeth can also have an impact on your breathing because of pushing your jaw backwards. Regardless of whether or not you have sleep apnea because of orthodontics or wonder if orthodontics could help, Dr. Mark T. Weiser in Santa Barbara would be pleased to review your case and help you explore options including orthodontic treatment for sleep apnea.

Snoring Treatment

Solutions for snoring have been marketed for many years. These treatments range from homeopathic and folk remedies to clinically proven treatments. Dr. Mark Weiser focuses on treating his Santa Barbara and Los Angeles snoring patients with clinically proven dental appliances.

Other things that you can do to prevent snoring:

  • Ensure you keep your airway open by properly treating allergies, asthma, and other respiratory ailments. Ensure that you follow the advice of your healthcare provider.

  • Avoid alcoholic beverages for several hours before bed.

  • Use Breathe Right® Snoring Strips to help open your nasal passages and encourage proper breathing. Tests confirm that snoring strips can increase airway flow by up to 25%.

  • Sleep on your side. When you sleep on your back, the weight of your neck’s soft tissues can collapse your airway and allow the tongue to move back into the throat.

If these basic remedies don’t work, consider the following treatment options.

Stop Snoring with Oral Appliance Therapy

The most effective treatment for snoring also treats the life-threatening disease obstructive sleep apnea. This disease often goes undiagnosed, and many snorers may actually suffer from it. Dr. Weiser uses sleep apnea appliances to adjust the jaw into a neuromuscularly balanced position. This opens the airway and allows free breathing.

Weight Loss and Snoring

Obesity can also lead to snoring. Fat deposits in the throat can act as extra weight on the soft tissues of the throat, obstructing the air passages and vibrating during relaxed breathing. If your snoring has increased with your waistline, weight loss through diet and exercise may help. Bariatric surgery can help patients who are not having success through these means. It is important to note that weight loss alone may not solve the problem of snoring, and that other treatments may also be necessary.

Do Nothing...Not An Option When It Comes To Snoring!

Snoring is the most frequent indication of sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening condition. Sleep apnea, characterized by prolonged pauses between breaths, gasping for air at various times throughout the night, headaches, and constant fatigue, can also lead to heart attack and depression among other problems. If you snore, consult Dr. Weiser to ensure you are not unknowingly suffering from sleep apnea.

 

Reasons to Work with Dr. Weiser for Sleep Apnea Treatment

Dr. Mark T. Weiser is a sleep-disorders trained dentist who can help you look at alternatives to CPAP for treatment of sleep apnea. Dr. Weiser is a qualified general, restorative, and cosmetic dentist with a great reputation in Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas. Book a consultation to talk about sleep apnea treatment options by calling (805) 899-3600. While severe sleep apnea treatment usually requires the CPAP machine, alternatives could be available to you, depending on the severity of your condition. If you have not yet had a sleep study, talk to Dr. Weiser about convenient at home sleep breathing disorders testing, too.

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