If you have been referred to our office for treatment or are coming in for a pre-treatment assessment:

Your visit to our office will include a thorough history and head, neck and throat evaluation to assess your situation. This information is correlated with testing to establish an accurate diagnosis and determine the appropriate treatment options. We will coordinate your care with your physicians and dentist to help resolve the snoring or apnea condition.

The treatment option we offer is oral appliance therapy. Based on your specific circumstances, oral appliance therapy can be a very effective solution for treating snoring and sleep apnea. We have been treating patients with snoring and sleep apnea conditions with oral appliance therapy for 20 years, with outstanding results

We believe our first responsibility is to inform and educate our patients.

We review the evaluation findings and explain the risks, benefits and reasonable expectations of the different treatment options with each patient. We guide patients in deciding which oral appliance will be most effective and comfortable for their situation. Then we work closely with the patients for a 3-4 month period to ensure the comfort and effectiveness of their treatment.

Thereafter, patients are seen at least once a year to assess their progress. This comprehensive approach is important to achieving a successful treatment outcome.

If you are not sure that you have sleep apnea or snoring problems but are experiencing difficulties, with daytime sleepiness or waking during the night, the following information may help.

Consult a physician

All snorers should be evaluated by a physician or sleep disorders specialist before pursuing treatment, especially if they:

• Wake unrefreshed in the morning,
• Fall asleep easily during the daytime at inappropriate times (while watching TV, reading, driving or in meetings), or
• Have periodic stoppages of snoring or breathing during sleep, as observed by their bed partner.

Your doctor’s evaluation will probably include:

• A complete medical history and a history of your snoring and related symptoms.
• A complete physical examination to assess the presence of obstructive sleep apnea or other sleep disorders or health problems.

If the doctor suspects that obstructive sleep apnea is present, additional testing of your sleep may be necessary.

Use these 4 Strategies to Minimize Snoring

These strategies may reduce or eliminate your snoring. No matter what treatment you pursue for snoring or obstructive sleep apnea, these recommendations will have a positive effect on its outcome.

• Sleep on your side to counteract the effects of gravity and reduce or eliminate snoring.
• Normalize your weight to reduce snoring and apnea symptoms.
• Relieve nasal congestion to help decrease snoring. Nasal sprays can be prescribed by your physician. (Note: Over-the-counter nasal sprays should not be used longer than a few days.) Nasal strips which increase nasal air flow may also be beneficial.
• Avoid alcohol or sleeping pills within four hours of bedtime. Both will cause relaxation of the soft tissues and muscles in the airway and will make sleep apnea or snoring worse.