Oral sleep care treatments
How It Works
The days of restless nights are in the past. The process starts with easy Sleep Apnea tests at home and ends with a better nights sleep. Learn more about how our process works below and get started on your SleepWell journey!
Gone are the days of overnight stays in a lab hooked up to multiple wires to monitor your sleep! With SleepWell, you’ll sleep at home like any other night while we get to work. Our sleep apnea tests at home use the WatchPAT technology, an innovative Home Sleep Apnea Device (HSAT) that connects to your smartphone to measure up to 7 channels including PAT signal which is the peripheral arterial signal as well as heart rate, oximetry, actigraphy, body position, chest motion, & snoring via three points of contact. After completing a session with WatchPAT, you can see the results of all sleep apnea events in as little as one minute!
Once we have results from your Home Sleep Test, your sleep study is first reviewed by a Board Certified Physician to provide their medical recommendations and confirm your eligibility for oral appliance therapy. Then, our Sleep Care Coordinator will use a pharyngometer and rhinometer instruments to show us the collapse in airway and capability of manipulating it to stay open during sleep reducing OSA and snoring. These results combined will determine the oral appliance best suited for you to achieve better sleep.
A sleep treatment plan custom to you! We have multiple different devices for patients as everyone’s anatomy is different. They’re not one size fits all. We’ll conduct our digital impression scanner assessment to customize the oral appliance with no hassle of dealing with the old school impression gunk you may be familiar with. Our friendly and helpful staff will work with you to find the perfect solution for your needs. See below some examples of the types of oral appliances you may be fitted with to get a better idea of their size and comfortability in comparison to CPAP machines.
Once you have your new oral appliance, you are on your way to more peaceful sleep and improving your quality of life! Our team is here for you to make adjustments to your appliance and for any questions you may have as you get used to it. We check in with you to ensure other symptoms you may have been experiencing before like fatigue, reflux, snoring, grinding, etc have subsided. Then, after two to three months of sleeping with the new appliance, a follow-up home sleep test will be performed to ensure the efficacy of the device.
Interested in next steps to achieving better sleep? First start with our helpful online sleep assessment!
Types of Oral Appliances
ProSomnus® EVO™ Oral Appliance
SomnoDent Avant™ Oral Appliance
Herbst Appliance – Medicare Approved
insurance and medicare options
There’s a better way to get the sleep you need. SleepWell Louisiana accepts health insurance and Medicare, as well as payment plans to make sure you can finally get the good night’s sleep you deserve. So contact us today and start getting the rest your body needs!
SleepWell Louisiana’s treatment options provide relief and solutions for these sleep-related conditions:
Sleep apnea
snoring
fatigue
teeth grinding
Facts about sleep
Do you love the feeling of waking up from a good night’s sleep? We believe everyone deserves to feel rejuvenated after sleeping through the night! Sleep plays an integral role in our overall well-being and when that is jeopardized, it can negatively affect many other areas of our health.
Unfortunately, it has been proven that many people do not get enough rest and in some cases, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can be to blame. OSA is a disorder that causes you to stop breathing during the night. It is fairly common but it often goes undiagnosed and therefore, untreated, which can lead to a number of serious health issues. Here are some facts about sleep apnea so you can be more aware if you are at risk.
Sleep apnea is often hereditary
If one of your family members like your mom or dad has sleep apnea, you’re more likely to develop it as well.
Being overweight can increase your risk of developing sleep apnea
Obesity is a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea but it’s not the only one. The risk of having sleep apnea is 4 times greater for people who are obese compared to people at a normal weight.
Most people don’t even know they have sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is more common than you think, and you may be suffering from it right now. It often goes undiagnosed or recognized. Most people never find out about it, and suffer the symptoms such as snoring, frequent breaks in breathing, daytime sleepiness or fatigue, morning headaches, restless sleep, depression, frequent nighttime urination, acid reflux, and irritability. Most people just think they’re getting a bad night’s rest much of the time.
Sleep apnea can also affect children
Sleep apnea becomes more common as you get older, but even small children can develop it. Enlarged tonsil tissues are usually to blame.
People on medications or sedatives are at risk
The most common form of sleep apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which causes the airway to be blocked or constricted during deep sleep. This causes a person to retain more carbon dioxide (CO2) and to get less oxygen while sleeping. There is a natural primitive reflex that kicks in at these times that causes one to wake briefly, take several breaths, then fall back asleep. Unfortunately, if you are taking sedatives, this arousal reflex may be repressed, and you may be at serious risk of suffocation. If you experience symptoms that seem like depression, bad sleep, fatigue, dry mouth, concentration problems, or are morbidly obese, and you take sedatives, you should make an appointment with your dentist to assess whether you have this condition.
Certain conditions increase your risk of sleep apnea.
- In addition to the above risk factors, people with certain medical conditions are at a greater risk of developing sleep apnea. According to Mayo Clinic, conditions linked to a higher risk of obstructive sleep apnea include:
- Congestive heart failure
- Parkinson’s disease
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Hormonal disorders
- Chronic lung disease such as asthma
- A history of stroke
You can do something about your sleep apnea
There are so many things you can do to decrease your risk for sleep apnea, treat it, and reduce your risk for other medical problems as well. First of all, a good weight loss program may be a good idea for you for myriad reasons. Avoiding sedatives and reducing alcohol consumption, and becoming smoke-free can make a huge change in your health, and it will affect your risk factors for heart disease and others immediately. Quitting smoking can reduce your heart disease risk factors almost immediately by a great deal, as much as 80-90% depending on your other habits. Some people can benefit immediately by not sleeping on their backs, which is the most common sleep position associated with sleep apnea.
the more you know
frequently asked questions
What is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), commonly called sleep apnea, is a sleep disorder in which a person ceases to breathe multiple times throughout the night due to partially or completely blocked airways. The condition occurs when the tongue or throat tissues intermittently relax and block the airway during sleep.
What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?
Common symptoms include snoring, frequent breaks in breathing, daytime sleepiness or fatigue, morning headaches, restless sleep, depression, frequent nighttime urination, acid reflux, and irritability.
Will insurance cover oral device therapy?
Oral appliances are covered by most medical insurances. We work closely with patients and their insurance to obtain pre-authorization and to ensure that coverage amounts, including any out-of-pocket costs, are fully disclosed and understood prior to treatment. If you have a traditional Medicare plan with a separate supplemental policy, treatment is almost always at no cost to you.
How is sleep apnea diagnosed?
A certified sleep specialist will diagnose sleep apnea based on a review of family and medical history, a physical exam, and a sleep study. Sleep studies can be done in a sleep lab or at home with a portable monitor.
How is sleep apnea treated?
Sleep apnea treatment options include:
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine – CPAP is the most commonly prescribed treatment for sleep apnea. The machine forces continuous airflow through your nose to prevent the airway from collapsing when muscles relax during sleep. This results in a continuous oxygen level throughout the night. Unfortunately, many wearers do not or cannot tolerate the machine for various reasons and seek alternative forms of treatment.
Oral appliance therapy – A custom-fit oral device available through Sleep Dallas is a highly effective, non-invasive option for sufferers of sleep apnea and snoring. The device fits similar to a sports mouthguard and is comfortable, quiet, and easily portable for travel.
Surgery – Surgery is performed to remove or reposition the tissues in the throat to stop blockage of the airway.
What are the risks of untreated sleep apnea?
If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a number of serious health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression.