Snoring & Sleep in Rifle, CO
Do you frequently wake up at night gasping for air? Do you feel tired the next morning despite having been in bed all night? If so, you may have a serious medical condition known as sleep apnea.
The traditional treatment for this condition includes sleeping with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) mask over your face. However, our dentist at Rifle Dental Care may be able to treat the condition with sleep apnea dental appliances.
Rifle Dental Care follows the guidelines of the American Dental Association (ADA)
The ADA recommends dentists screen all patients for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
- OSA is the most prevalent form of sleep apnea, accounting for over 80% of sleep-disordered breathing cases in the U.S.
- OSA is a common sleep disorder and potentially dangerous when left untreated. It is often overlooked.
- OSA has numerous health consequences, ranging from sleep fragmentation and excessive daytime sleepiness to chronic hypertension, coronary heart failure, erectile dysfunction, bedwetting, neurocognitive dysfunction, and ischemic stroke.
How Can I Be Tested?
At Rifle Dental Care: Dr. Cappelli and Dr. Schwind will screen for OSA-related risk factors or common presenting features during the clinical examination. If symptoms are present, patients will be referred for diagnostic testing.
- Convenient home diagnostic tests, with interpretation by a Board Certified Sleep Medicine specialist, are available at our office.
- Patients may also be referred to their primary care physician for further evaluation. Sometimes a polysomnogram at an overnight sleep center is recommended.
What If I Have OSA?
Various treatment options are available for patients diagnosed with OSA and may include positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.
- Oral Appliance Therapy is recommended for patients with mild to moderate OSA, or people with severe apnea who simply cannot tolerate the use of PAP therapy.
- Oral devices are effective, comfortable, portable, and easily maintained.
- Our patients love that they do not have to wear a CPAP to experience healthy and restful sleep every night.
We’ll Take Great Care of You
Dr. Cappelli will work collaboratively with primary care physicians and sleep specialists as part of a multidisciplinary care team, to support optimal long-term care for our patients with OSA. This includes periodic dental and periodontal assessment, as well as fabrication and maintenance of properly fitted oral appliances that can be used safely over time.
