Enjoy Comfortable Zanesville Sleep Apnea Treatment With a Custom Oral Appliance
If you’re aren’t getting a restful night’s sleep, sleep apnea could be the cause. One of sleep apnea’s symptoms is chronic snoring, which means the rest of your household may not get much rest either. Even worse, research has linked sleep apnea to some serious health conditions, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
Dr. Charles Hawkins on sleep apnea treatment at Hawkins Complete Dental Service
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Dr. Charles Hawkins on sleep apnea treatment at Hawkins Complete Dental Service
What we do here is I do treat sleep apnea. What we do is we make a sleep device that fits over top of their teeth. We take a custom tray and we get a molds of upper and lower teeth. We actually bring your lower jaw forward, open up your wind pipe. For those, you just can't wear CPAP. We do a lot of mild and moderate kind of sleep apnea patients where we can do that and bring the lower jaw out and not the sleep apneas in. What the sleep apnea is is when you stop breathing. I've had a lady sitting in the chair, she went to a physician, he said, The only thing I can do for you is a CPAP. She couldn't wear a CPAP. I said, Let me see if I can help you. Made her a sleep appliance. She came in the next day crying because she was so happy that we were able to help, and get a good night’s sleep. How we check it to make sure, we send home a pulse ox afterwards—this is what's the difference between our practice and everybody else. Then, we send home another sleep study. Then, we'll check it out here and have a sleep physician read it to make sure the device is working like it's supposed to be working.
Fortunately, Dr. Charles Hawkins can help. He can relieve your sleep apnea symptoms and get you – and your loved ones – resting comfortably again with Zanesville sleep apnea treatment using an oral sleep appliance.
In addition to being more comfortable than a CPAP machine, many people find oral appliances:
- Easier to Use and Maintain – Just insert the appliance into your mouth. You won’t have to find a convenient electric outlet. And oral appliances are easier to clean, too.
- Easier to Transport – An oral appliance easily fits into a pocket or a purse.
- Easier to Wear – There won’t be any worries about becoming disconnected from an oral appliance during the night.
If you suspect you may have sleep apnea, call Hawkins Complete Dental Service at 740-214-1301 today to book a free consultation with Dr. Hawkins. Be sure to schedule your next regular checkup at the same time.
We’ll Help You Get a Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
Dr. Hawkins is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, an independent, nonprofit board that certifies licensed dentists who treat sleep-related breathing disorders. Many dentists offer treatment for sleep apnea, but Dr. Hawkins has the credentials to back it up! He’s the first dentist in southeastern Ohio to receive national accreditation from the organization.
The first step in treating sleep apnea is getting a diagnosis. Your diagnosis must come from a physician, but Dr. Hawkins often works closely with physicians on helping patients get a sleep study.
We can even provide a machine you can use in the comfort of your own home. It monitors breathing changes as you sleep. We can then download the data and send it to the physician of your choice, who uses it to make a diagnosis. Many people find this a far less stressful experience than spending the night in a sleep center.
Treat Sleep Apnea With a Custom Oral Appliance
The most common form of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, is caused when your tongue or other soft tissue blocks your airway as you sleep. Sleep apnea sufferers frequently gasp to breathe and partially awaken – sometimes as many as hundreds of times a night. We can treat sleep apnea with an FDA-approved custom oral appliance that gently shifts your jaw forward to keep your airway open.
There are numerous types of appliances, which is where Dr. Hawkins’ expertise comes in. He can determine which one will work best for you. Regardless of which type you use, you’ll appreciate these benefits:
- It will fit comfortably since it’s custom-made for you.
- You’ll be able to easily breathe, speak, and possibly even drink liquids when wearing your appliance.
- You might even be able to get your appliance covered by your medical insurance plan!
The appliances work well for mild and moderate cases of sleep apnea. A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine is often recommended for more severe cases of sleep apnea. However, some people find a CPAP too restrictive or uncomfortable. One study found only about half of people prescribed a CPAP continued to use it five years after their sleep apnea diagnosis. In some cases, an oral appliance can be a good alternative to a CPAP machine.
If you’re ready for a restful night’s sleep, call Hawkins Complete Dental Service at 740-214-1301 to find out more about our sleep apnea treatment in Zanesville. You can also request an appointment online. Our office is located minutes away from Eaglesticks Golf Club.