06 Jun Top 5 Benefits of Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliance therapy (OAT) treats sleep disorders such as snoring and sleep apnea. OAT uses a small resin or acrylic guard that’s fitted to your mouth to open your airway. At Crosspointe Sleep Solutions, we address the root cause of your sleep problems using OAT. Here are the top 5 benefits you can experience from this innovative treatment.
1. Better Sleep
The first thing you will notice is that you will sleep better. It is impossible to stay asleep with snoring or the constant disruption of sleep apnea. OAT keeps your throat open so you won’t snore and wake up frequently. When your airway is completely open, your body can sink into the deep, restorative sleep it needs.
2. Better Cardiovascular Health
According to John’s Hopkins Medical Center, sleep apnea can affect your heart and metabolism. Sleep apnea is closely associated with obesity, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and heart disease. Keeping your airways open stops sleep apnea and reduces these risks.
3. Oral Appliance Therapy Is Discreet
If you share a bed with a partner and have sleep apnea, you know that there is nothing more attractive than the “come hither” look of a four-foot plastic hose strapped to your face. Unlike a CPAP machine, an oral appliance is small. It slips in and out of your mouth in seconds. Your partner may not know it’s there until they realize that the snoring is gone.
4. Easy to Clean
Have you ever tried to clean a CPAP machine? You must wash the mask, the hose, and the connective nozzles, then dry them thoroughly. And doctors recommend that you wash these parts every day. That can require close to thirty minutes of time before you start your day so that everything can dry.
On the other hand, an oral appliance takes about a minute to clean. You just brush the OAT with a drop or two of dish soap. Depending on the device, you either allow it to air dry or keep it submerged when it’s not in your mouth. Check with your dentist for cleaning instructions for your specific appliance.
5. Energy Efficient
On average, a little CPAP machine uses about as much energy as a full-sized dishwasher. That’s the energy needed to run the machine all night, every night. That doesn’t even consider the carbon footprint required to manufacture the device, hoses, and straps.
An oral appliance, on the other hand, uses no energy. It stays in your mouth, holding your jaw in the best position for optimal sleep. So your OAT isn’t just good for your health; it’s good for the health of the planet.
Give us a call today!
The only way to know if oral appliance therapy is right for you is to talk with your dentist. Dr. Coerver at Crosspointe Sleep Solutions is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. She can help you explore solutions to your sleep problems.