SLEEP APNEA TREATMENT – ORMOND BEACH, FL

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Snoring affects millions of people of all ages, both male and female. Oral appliance therapy is the most common treatment for the most severe snoring problems. Treatment procedures range from changing your sleep patterns to utilizing orthodontic-related appliances that help open the airways during sleep. If you believe you might benefit from sleep apnea treatment in Ormond Beach, contact our dental office to schedule an appointment today.

Sleep apnea occurs when you cease breathing for 10 seconds or more as a result of a blocked airway. When this happens, your brain is triggered in a way that will allow it to alert your body to its need to breathe. This often results in a person waking up gasping or choking for air. This can happen once or hundreds of times each night, causing an individual’s blood pressure to rise and fall over and over again. This is a dangerous cycle that if left untreated, can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

How Is Snoring Related to Sleep Apnea?

As we mentioned earlier, sleep apnea happens when an airway becomes blocked. When a person snores, the soft tissues and throat collapse, partially blocking your airway. While chronic snoring is one of the leading symptoms of sleep apnea, it doesn’t always mean that if you snore, you have sleep apnea. Snoring is often associated with people who may be obese or overweight, which can also contribute to an increased chance of developing sleep apnea.

Common Causes of Snoring

Snoring is caused by the vibrations of your soft and/or hard tissue palates; these vibrations occur because of increasingly narrow air passages. When air passes through these passages, a “flapping” sound occurs because the tissue is soft in nature. Surgery (to alleviate the snoring) is not always successful, however, because the sound may not originate from the soft palate; the snoring sometimes originates from tissues in the upper airway.

Common causes:

• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Health problems
• Obesity
• Obstructed nasal passages – deviated septum
• Poor muscle tone of the tongue
• Daytime fatigue
• Sleep apnea
• Hypothyroidism
• Allergies

Our doctor can evaluate you to determine if a snoring appliance is the best solution for your snoring. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Many dentists and doctors have spent years treating patients suffering from sleep apnea with a CPAP machine. Although effective and beneficial at treating the condition, it is often found to be difficult to use, maneuver, and uncomfortable to wear. Don’t forget the bulky hardware and machine that come with the CPAP.

An alternative method that is much less invasive and more user-friendly is oral appliance therapy. These small, compact, and portable devices are easy to wear. Designed to look like a mouthguard, you simply slip it into your mouth before you go to sleep. The way they are customized to fit your mouth allows these devices to shift your jaw forward to keep your airway open while you sleep.

Understanding the Cost of Sleep Apnea Treatment

The cost of sleep apnea treatment can vary from case to case. When you visit us, we will discuss the details of your treatment plan and provide financial information. Our team will be happy to help you file claims with your medical insurance and assist you as you apply for financing if necessary. We want the process of paying for your care to be as easy as possible, so you are always welcome to ask us questions if anything is unclear about the monetary aspect of your treatment.

Does Dental Insurance Cover the Cost of Sleep Apnea Treatment?

Dental insurance is meant to help patients manage the cost of services that directly benefit the teeth and gums. Since sleep apnea is more of a systemic condition, you should not expect your dental insurance to cover your treatment. Rather, your medical insurance is much more likely to apply.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Sleep Apnea Treatment

The two biggest factors that may affect your out-of-pocket cost for sleep apnea treatment are:

• Insurance coverage. Provide our team with your insurance information, and we can estimate your out-of-pocket costs, which may include a deductible along with co-pay/coinsurance. We can also seek pre-authorization from your insurance company if necessary.
• The type of treatment you need. CPAP therapy and custom oral appliance therapy have different price points. There are also different types of devices that can be used in each category, which can affect overall treatment costs.

Treat Your Sleep Apnea Now to Improve Your Health

The process of getting diagnosed and treated for sleep apnea may seem a bit pricey and time-consuming. Is it worth it? Yes! In fact, protecting the quality of your sleep can support your health and save you money in the long run.

Sleep apnea is associated with a heightened risk of numerous conditions, including high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, dementia, and more. By seeking timely treatment, you may prevent or delay the onset of such issues, leading to lower overall medical costs and an improved quality of life.

Sleep apnea treatment may also greatly decrease your risk of being involved in a painful and expensive car accident.

Making Sleep Apnea Treatment More Affordable

Outside of insurance, there may be other provisions that could make your treatment more affordable. For example, you may qualify for low-interest financing through CareCredit or Wells Fargo. Our team can assist you with the quick and easy application process — most patients are qualified for an affordable monthly payment plan!