Sleep apnea is a chronic medical concern that can create oral and systemic health problems. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) causes the airway to become blocked during sleep. When the airway becomes blocked, the patient loses oxygen and cannot breathe properly. Patients suffering from OSA often wake up multiple times during the night gasping for air.
These episodes of the airway closing and reopening can happen many times during sleep, sometimes up to 30 times per hour. When something interrupts the body’s oxygen flow, it can damage vital organs, including the brain and heart.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it is very important that a doctor diagnoses and treats you. Diagnosing a sleep disorder will typically involve your physician and/or other specialists. Dr. William Harper will work with your general practitioner to coordinate a sleep test to get an accurate diagnosis.
If the sleep test shows that you have mild to moderate sleep apnea, Dr. Harper will work alongside your physician to provide the proper treatment. Coastal Sleep & TMJ is currently welcoming patients from Williamsburg, VA for sleep apnea treatment.
Sleep Apnea Treatment in Williamsburg, VA
Once your doctor has diagnosed you with sleep apnea and they rule out other more dangerous conditions, your physician can then begin treatment. If they decide oral appliance therapy is a suitable treatment option, then Dr. Harper can begin the process of finding the right oral appliance for you.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliance therapy is an excellent way to treat sleep apnea, and it helps avoid the go-to standard treatment, the CPAP machine. Medical experts have scientifically tested oral appliances and they are very effective for patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea. They are also effective for patients with severe sleep apnea who are CPAP intolerant.
An oral sleep device is similar to a sports mouthguard or orthodontic retainer. You wear these small devices in the mouth during sleep to keep the airway open. Coastal Virginia Sleep Solutions offers many types of oral sleep devices to patients from Williamsburg, VA, and is always evaluating new designs.
You can choose the right oral device after an examination of the mouth by Dr. Harper. He will carefully fabricate the oral device to the specifications of the patient’s mouth.
Manufacturers have designed oral sleep appliances to readjust your bite to keep your tongue from rolling to the back of your mouth during sleep. It pushes the lower jaw forward, holding it in a stable position. This will keep your airway open, allowing you to breathe normally during sleep.
Why Choose Coastal Sleep & TMJ for the Treatment of Sleep Apnea?
Dr. Harper has spent many hours researching oral devices and has completed additional training through the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and a Dental Sleep Medicine Mini-Residency at the University of North Carolina. He has reached the status of Diplomate in the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine making him extremely qualified to offer sleep apnea treatment.
Dr. Harper is the only dentist in the Williamsburg, VA area that is this qualified to offer this level of treatment. He is truly commits himself to dental sleep medicine and to helping his patients find solutions for their sleep disorders.