CPAP Alternatives

Have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea or fear that you suffer from sleep apnea? Have you avoided seeking treatment because you don’t want to use a CPAP mask or cannot tolerate CPAP? While a CPAP mask can be an effective treatment for many people, for those who cannot tolerate it, there are CPAP alternatives that are as or more effective without requiring the use of a mask over the nose and mouth at night.

Why CPAP Doesn’t Work For Everyone

Some people are unable to become accustomed to sleeping with the mask over their nose and mouth, whether it inhibits their sleep position or feels too claustrophobic. Since the idea behind treating sleep apnea is, in part, to ensure the patient is able to sleep better, this kind of intolerance can result in the same kinds of symptoms as the sleep apnea itself: an inability to concentrate, feeling tired throughout the day, falling asleep during the day. If CPAP isn’t right for you, eos dental sleep offers CPAP alternatives to the CPAP mask using oral appliance therapy (OAT). 91 percent of sleep apnea patients treated with a dental appliance for sleep apnea were still using their appliances comfortably at the end of one year.

What Is Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT)?

Oral appliance therapy is a device similar to a retainer or mouth guard that is designed to maintain an open airway for people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It is worn nightly, extremely portable, and doesn’t require the maintenance that a CPAP machine requires.

Types Of Oral Appliances

There are two different types of custom-made oral appliances that can be used. One prevents the tongue from rolling back and blocking the air passage; the other repositions the jaw and tongue to open the airway. Most patients are able to adapt to the use of the device without any complication and there is a marked improvement in compliance with the treatment from patients switching to OAT from CPAP who did not tolerate the CPAP.

Schedule Your Consultation

If you are suffering from chronic snoring or sleep apnea and looking for a CPAP alternative, schedule an oral appliance therapy consultation at eos dental sleep today. Our dental sleep medicine physician in Center City, Philadelphia looks forward to helping you get the peaceful and restorative night’s sleep that you deserve.