What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea means your breathing repeatedly stops or becomes shallow during sleep; if you need sleep apnea treatment in Gillette, WY, a physician can diagnose the condition, and Big Horn Dental Clinic can make a custom oral sleep appliance when it is appropriate for you. Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type, happens when your upper airway becomes blocked as you sleep.
What Happens When Breathing Is Blocked During Sleep?
When the muscles around your throat relax, your airway can narrow or close. Your breathing pauses or weakens until your brain briefly wakes you enough to breathe again. You might not remember these awakenings, yet they can break up your sleep throughout the night.
How Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
A physician reviews your symptoms and uses a sleep study to check your breathing during sleep. The study helps show how frequently your breathing is disrupted and how severe the condition is. Your dentist uses that diagnosis to help plan appliance care; a dental visit alone does not establish it.
Signs You Might Have Sleep Apnea
Loud snoring, witnessed breathing pauses, and daytime fatigue are reasons to talk with your physician about sleep apnea. Symptoms alone cannot tell you whether you have it.
Loud Snoring and Interrupted Breathing
Snoring happens when air moves through a narrowed airway and the surrounding tissue vibrates. If someone hears you gasp, choke, or stop breathing during sleep, tell your physician. Loud snoring can have other causes, so a sleep study is important before choosing sleep apnea treatment.
Daytime Fatigue and Other Warning Signs
You might wake with a dry mouth or headache and still feel tired after a full night in bed. Trouble concentrating and dozing off during the day are also worth discussing with your physician. If you feel sleepy while driving, pull over somewhere safe and seek medical advice promptly.
How an Oral Sleep Appliance Works
Oral appliance therapy uses a device worn in your mouth during sleep to help keep your airway open. A custom oral sleep appliance is fitted to your teeth and adjusted as part of your care.
How Does a Mandibular Advancement Device Help?
A mandibular advancement device holds your lower jaw slightly forward while you sleep. That position helps make more room behind your tongue, where the airway can narrow. Your dentist adjusts the device with your comfort and treatment plan in mind, while your physician checks whether treatment is controlling your sleep apnea.
Why Is a Custom Fit Important?
A dentist makes the appliance to fit your teeth and bite, then checks how it sits in your mouth. Follow-up visits allow adjustments if you have jaw soreness, tooth discomfort, or a change in your bite. Tell your dentist about those changes so they can be addressed during treatment.
A sleep appliance is different from the night guards we make to protect teeth from grinding. If you also grind your teeth or have jaw pain, let us know; Dr. Nichols leads our TMJ & migraine therapy care.
Is Oral Appliance Therapy Right for You?
Oral appliance therapy is a CPAP alternative for some adults with diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. Your physician’s treatment advice, the severity of your condition, and your dental health help determine whether it fits your needs.
Who May Benefit from an Oral Appliance?
A physician may recommend an oral appliance for an adult with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea or for someone who cannot tolerate CPAP. Your dentist also checks your teeth, gums, and jaw before making a device. Treatment calls for follow-up with both providers to assess your comfort and whether your breathing has improved.
What If CPAP Is Not Working for You?
Tell your physician what is making CPAP difficult, such as mask discomfort or trouble wearing it through the night. Your physician can help you address those problems or discuss whether an oral appliance is appropriate. Keep using your prescribed treatment until you and your physician agree on a change.
| CPAP | Oral appliance therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Delivers pressurized air | Positions the lower jaw forward |
| What you wear | Mask during sleep | Fitted device in your mouth |
| Follow-up | Physician reviews treatment | Dentist adjusts fit; physician checks results |
What to Expect at Big Horn Dental Clinic
At Big Horn Dental Clinic, you can start with a complimentary consultation, then discuss an appliance fitting if you have a physician’s diagnosis and oral appliance therapy is appropriate. Our role as your sleep apnea dentist is to provide and adjust the device while coordinating with your physician.
Your Consultation and Appliance Fitting
At your visit, we discuss your symptoms, diagnosis, treatment goals, and dental health. If an appliance is a good fit for your care plan, we gather the information needed to make it for your mouth. Once it is ready, we check the fit, explain how to wear and care for it, and arrange follow-up adjustments as needed.
You can find Big Horn Dental Clinic at 4403 Running W Drive in Gillette. Call (307) 228-7920 to ask about a consultation.
How We Coordinate with Your Physician
Your physician provides the sleep apnea diagnosis and advises you on medical treatment. With your permission, we can share information about your appliance care and work with your physician on follow-up testing when appropriate. That testing helps determine whether the device is treating your breathing interruptions effectively.
Our Sleep Apnea Special
Your consultation at Big Horn Dental Clinic is complimentary. If you choose an oral sleep appliance and pay without insurance, you receive a $250 credit toward the appliance.
The credit applies to non-insurance payment. During your consultation, ask us about the appliance cost and how the credit will be applied before you decide on treatment. You can see all of our current specials online.
Frequently Asked Questions
A sleep study establishes whether you have sleep apnea, and treatment choices follow your diagnosis. These answers address common questions about appliances and snoring treatment.
Do I Need a Sleep Study First?
Yes. A physician uses a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnea before you begin appliance treatment for the condition. If you have not had one, talk with your physician about your symptoms.
Is an Oral Appliance an Alternative to CPAP?
Yes, for some people with diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. Your physician can advise you on whether an oral appliance is appropriate for your condition, and your dentist can check whether your mouth is suited to one.
Will an Oral Appliance Stop My Snoring?
An oral appliance can reduce snoring when it helps keep your airway open, but results vary. If snoring is your main concern, ask your physician whether you need a sleep study before choosing snoring treatment.
How Long Does It Take to Get My Appliance?
The timing depends on your diagnosis, dental evaluation, and the steps needed to make and fit your custom device. At your consultation, we can explain the next steps for your care.
