Sleep Apnea Treatments

Behavioral Changes

• diet or nutritional evaluation
• regular exercise
• weight loss
• avoidance of alcohol and other CNS depressants
• avoidance of tobacco (nicotine)
• avoidance of coffee (caffeine) and other potent stimulants

Pillow Placement
Various head, neck, and shoulder pillows can maintain a better "breathing posture."

Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines deliver room air under pressure through the nose using a nasal mask. Pressure creates a pneumatic splint in the upper airway and prevents obstruction from occurring. It is 100% successful in the treatment of OSA.

While CPAP is certainly the most recognized treatment, patients may feel claustrophobic and some find the equipment to be aggravating. Compliance is often a struggle. The strap and head gear required to keep the face mask on during sleep may cause discomfort and pressure on the face. However, there have been, and continue to be many improvements with CPAP and BiPAP.

Surgery
Sometimes surgery cannot be avoided. Surgeons can correct abnormalities such as nasal polyps, enlarged tonsils and deviated septum or jaw malformation. However, when an invasive surgical solution fails, patients can become frustrated and often devastated with their soft tissue changes. Statistics show surgical success only ranges between 30-50%. In addition, a number of complications can emerge over time. Many ENT physicians will encourage their patients to try oral appliance therapy prior to surgery.

Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliance therapy is being taught to dentists in postgraduate courses. This special training helps us choose the most appropriate appliance for each patient.

OSA appliances often look similar to orthodontic retainers and TMJ appliances. They are usually made from clear acrylics, and may have adjustment features.

All appliances attempt to dilate or open the airway by altering the position of the lower jaw.

Benefits include:

• Excellent patient acceptance and compliance
• Non-invasive, conservative treatment
• Repositioning the soft palate and stabilizing the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate, and uvula
• Moderate cost-compared to other treatments
• Increased muscle tone, pharyngeal and genioglossus muscle activity