If you or someone you love snores loudly, wakes up feeling unrested, or has been told they stop breathing during sleep, your dentist could be an important part of the conversation. At Marquez Integrative Dental Care in El Paso, TX, Dr. Alfred Marquez offers evaluation for oral appliance therapy — a dental treatment option for certain patients with sleep apnea, always in coordination with your physician or sleep specialist.
Important: oral appliance therapy is a dental treatment evaluated on a case-by-case basis and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, a medical evaluation — typically including a sleep study — is the essential first step.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which the airway repeatedly collapses or becomes blocked during sleep, causing breathing to pause — sometimes dozens or even hundreds of times per night. Only a qualified medical professional can diagnose sleep apnea, usually through a sleep study. A diagnosis must come before any treatment decision is made.
How Do Oral Appliances Work?
For patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, the FDA has cleared certain oral appliances as a treatment option. These devices — custom-fitted by a dentist — are worn during sleep and work by gently repositioning the lower jaw slightly forward, which helps keep the airway open. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) have both issued guidance supporting oral appliance therapy as an appropriate option for certain patients, when prescribed and managed by a qualified dental provider in coordination with a physician.
Results vary by patient, and not everyone is a candidate. Dr. Marquez evaluates each patient individually, and any recommendations are made in coordination with the patient’s physician or sleep specialist.
What Does the Evaluation Look Like at Our Office?
Dr. Marquez evaluates your oral structures — jaw, teeth, and airway anatomy — to determine whether oral appliance therapy may be appropriate for you, given a medical diagnosis already established by your physician. If you and your care team decide to proceed, the appliance is custom fabricated and fitted precisely to your teeth for comfort and effectiveness.
Good sleep is foundational to good health. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and want to explore whether oral appliance therapy might be right for you, learn more about our sleep dentistry services or contact our office at (915) 779-6403.