Did you know sleep apnea is a medical condition that is covered by most insurances?
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious condition in which a person stops breathing during sleep. There are several types of sleep apnea, but the most common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). For those with sleep apnea, collapsed tissue within the throat obstructs the airway resulting in interrupted breathing during sleep. When the airway is obstructed, the body partially awakens to resume breathing, in some cases hundreds of times per night. This interrupts the sleep cycle, preventing truly restful sleep which leads to feeling tired, grumpy and of course, snoring.
- Pauses in breathing typically last 10 seconds
- Severe cases may last up to 30 seconds
- Loud snoring may be a sign of sleep apnea
- Pauses can recur throughout the sleep cycle
- May result in frequent awakenings and sleep fragmentation
OSA can leave you feeling tired all day, cause fatigued driving and lower your productivity, but these are not the only dangers. Left untreated, OSA puts added stress on the body and immune system. Chronic lack of sleep can exacerbate existing conditions, increasing the likelihood of adverse events. Research findings report that Sleep apnea is commonly associated with other serious medical conditions like:
- Obesity
- Alzheimer’s
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Heart-failure
- Depression
- Stroke
OSA is a widespread health problem, with potentially life-threatening consequences if left untreated. For these reasons it is crucial that anyone experiencing symptoms be screened and tested for OSA. Intervening early can prevent progression of the disease and improve overall health, reducing other problems.
Are you diagnosed with sleep apnea?
Have you been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea? Hate your CPAP? Do you wear your CPAP every night?
If you don’t, you are not alone. It is estimated that 80% of CPAP users do not wear the device more than 4 hours per night*. If you are not wearing the device as prescribed, you are not maximizing treating of the condition. Oral Appliance therapy is alternative to CPAP for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Custom-fitted oral appliances are an FDA approved treatment for mild to moderate OSA and CPAP intolerant/non-compliant cases. Our oral appliances are more comfortable and convenient, require no electricity, wires, hoses and do not make any noise.
Learn More *When adherence is defined as greater than 4 hours of nightly use, 46 to 83% of patients with obstructive sleep apnea have been reported to be non adherent to treatment. Weaver TE, Grunstein RR. Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure therapy: the challenge to effective treatment. Proc Am Thorac Soc 2008; 5:173.
Think you may have sleep apnea?
If you suffer from any of the symptoms of OSA, schedule an appointment for a screening and consultation today. Our friendly staff will answer your questions and can provide you with a home sleep test. Contact us today and get you started on the path to better sleep. Stop suffering. Get the rest you deserve.
DreamSleep Certified
Our office has been DreamSleep Certified for treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea. DreamSleep is a national network of Dentists and Physicians working together to raise awareness and treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
DreamSleep Certification means every member of our sleep team has received intensive training on sleep medicine, oral appliance therapy and collaboration with physicians for testing and diagnosis.
All DreamSleep providers:
- Are required to achieve accreditation in the fundamentals of dental sleep medicine and oral appliance therapy for sleep-related breathing disorders
- Refer patients at risk to qualified physicians for diagnosis and prescription of an appropriate therapy
- Use objective data to verify the efficacy of oral appliance therapy as permitted within their scope of practice and in accordance with their state dental practice acts
- Refer patients back to physicians for confirmation of treatment efficacy after fitting and titration of an oral appliance
- Provide timely, appropriate and ongoing follow-up care to manage dental-related side effects of oral appliance therapy
We believe that close teamwork with physicians is essential for successful management of sleep-related breathing disorders using oral appliance therapy.
How it works:
- Schedule a complimentary screening consultation at our office by filling out the form on the right. The consultation will take 20-30 minutes.
- Our Sleep Wellness Coordinator will call to confirm the appointment
- If the screening indicates you are at risk for OSA, we will arrange for you to speak with a board-certified Sleep Physician or other physician at your preference. This might occur by videoconference.
- If appropriate, the physician will prescribe and arrange for you to receive a Home Sleep Test kit in the mail. In some cases you may need a sleep test in a sleep lab.
- The results from the test will be sent to the board-certified Sleep Physician for review and diagnosis.
- If the physician recommends Oral Appliance Therapy, we will take impressions of your teeth and create a custom device for you.
- After the device is made, it will require adjustments to ensure optimal airflow.
- A follow up sleep test will be used to verify that the device is working as intended. This may be conducted in your home.
- We will see you yearly to evaluate the oral appliance and to determine if there has been any change to your treatment needs.
OSA is a medical condition, which means that it is covered under medical insurance, not dental insurance even though treatment is delivered by a dentist. As a courtesy, we will verify and file your claim with your medical insurance carrier; however, verification is only an explanation of benefits based upon information that we received from your insurance carrier. It is not a guarantee of payment. We will assist you in determining the benefits for Oral Appliance Therapy provided by your insurance carrier, and will file claims for services rendered.
