Sleep Apnea                                                

Do you feel tired, irritable, or unfocused during the day? Does your partner report snoring or episodes of stopped breathing when you sleep? You may have sleep apnea, a potentially dangerous condition that affects your health, relationships, and ability to perform your job well.

Dr. Rose of Master Dental & Orthodontics in Ocoee, FL, offers solutions for obstructive sleep apnea.

What Is Sleep Apnea?                        

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing as they sleep. The condition can cause symptoms like daytime sleepiness, the inability to focus, and medical problems like high blood pressure. The two main types of sleep apnea are:                                    

Central Sleep Apnea                                

Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain doesn't send the proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing as you sleep. It requires treatment from a specialist.

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Obstructive Sleep Apnea                                

This form of sleep apnea occurs when the muscles of the throat relax, narrowing the airways. Dr. Rose can treat obstructive sleep apnea to protect your health and allow you to get restful sleep.

What Are the Risk Factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnea?                  

Risk factors for this sleep disorder include:

• Being overweight
• Having narrow airways
• Having certain medical conditions
• Smoking
• Being older (the risk typically peaks in your 60s or 70s)
• Being male

If you, your partner, or your family have noticed the signs of sleep apnea and you're at risk for this sleep disorder, we invite you to visit our Ocoee office outside of Orlando. We can diagnose sleep apnea by examining the position of your jaw, the anatomy of your oral structures, the circumference of your neck, and more. We may also administer a sleep study.                        

Sleep Easier With Treatment                        

After being diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, our Ocoee, FL, doctors practicing just outside of Orlando may recommend treatments like:                                    

Lifestyle Changes                                  

Dieting and exercising, avoiding alcohol and smoking, using a humidifier, and altering your sleeping position may help correct your obstructive sleep apnea. But if these solutions don't work, we offer nonsurgical and surgical solutions.

PAP Machine                                  

A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine keeps the upper airway passages open by delivering air pressure through a mask. CPAP machines are often a great solution for patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea.          

Oral Appliance Therapy                                  

If you desire a solution that's smaller, quieter, and easier to travel with than a CPAP machine, you can be fitted for a custom oral appliance that holds your upper airways open while you sleep. Though CPAP is the better solution in some cases, oral appliances are easier to use and can be effective for mild-to-moderate sleep apnea. We can determine if this simplified treatment is right for you.

Surgery                                  

If oral appliances and continuous positive airway pressure machines aren't achieving the results you need, you may require surgery. Surgical options can remove tissue from the back of the mouth, reposition the jaw, and more.

Consider the Vivos System

Available at Our Ocoee, FL, Office

When the jaws and oral cavity don't develop properly, the airways can be undersized and the muscles can be more likely to relax and close the airways while you sleep. Those with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea may find a permanent solution in the Vivos® System.

While other oral appliances simply hold your airways open as you sleep, the Vivos System restructures your anatomy and permanently expands the airways.

Patients simply wear their Vivos appliance for 10-12 hours a day, and can generally expect results in an average of 18 months.