Sleep Apnea Treatment – Covington, LA

Stop Snoring & Sleep Better

Do you wish your spouse or loved one would give you the silent treatment? Is snoring keeping you up at night? Are you on the verge of separate bedrooms? Snoring, stopping breathing during sleep, and waking up snorting or gasping for breath are all indications of a sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This is a potentially life-threatening medical condition that can lead to hypertension, heart attack, stroke, depression, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, morning headaches, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

But it just may be something Dr. Moreau can help you overcome, even when medical solutions have failed. Millions of Americans are affected by sleep apnea, yet many go undiagnosed. Of those who are diagnosed, a common treatment is with a CPAP breathing apparatus worn during sleep. But more than half the people prescribed CPAP (up to 87% in some studies) are mask-intolerant and end up not using it. And without treatment, the risk of early death rises significantly. Fortunately, MoreSMILES Dental Spa offers a viable alternative sleep apnea treatment for Covington, LA patients.

Why Choose MoreSMILES Dental Spa for Sleep Apnea Treatment?

Custom-Crafted Sleep Apnea Devices

Works with Your Certified Sleep Physician

Dr. Moreau is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine

Kiss Your CPAP Goodbye

Several oral appliances have proved effective in resolving sleep apnea and snoring without the use of CPAP. A custom-fitted appliance can cure snoring by either advancing the jaw or holding the tongue still during sleep, allowing your airway to remain open. Dr. Moreau will be able to evaluate and recommend the device that would be best suited for your specific condition. We will ensure proper fit, train you to use the oral appliance at home, and monitor improvement with follow-ups.

We'll work with your physician to provide an oral device that is:

Proven to increase sleep quality
Comfortable and easy to wear
Easy to travel with
Does not limit sleep positions
FDA and Medicare approved
Oftentimes, this device is covered by medical insurance, even if your insurance has already paid for a CPAP machine.

If you feel you suffer from sleep apnea or some other breathing/sleep disorder, have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, or cannot tolerate your CPAP machine, contact Dr. Moreau today to schedule a thorough evaluation.

Sleep Habits

Adopting good sleep habits can actually help reduce the severity of OSA over time! Here are some tips for how to make your nights more comfortable:

Do your best to maintain a consistent schedule! Have a fixed bedtime and waking time, including on weekends.
Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and at a pleasant temperature.
Try to keep electronic devices (including smart phones, computers, and TV’s) out of the bedroom as much as possible.
Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages/alcohol or eating large meals at least four hours before your planned bedtime.
Exercise often! Physical activity can actually help you fall asleep quickly and stay that way.

Sleep Apnea & TMJ Disorder

What many patients don’t know is that the separate health problems of sleep apnea and TMJ disorder may actually be interlocked. For example, a misaligned jaw could contribute to chronic airway blockage during rest, or the body’s automatic response to push the lower jaw forward during an apnea episode could lead to facial pain over time. Our team strongly recommends that patients who suffer from constant headaches or jaw pain also receive a sleep study. Oral appliance therapy may be able to treat both conditions at once!

Sleep Apnea FAQs

Our dentists and support staff would love to help you find freedom from the exhaustion and other symptoms that come with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Before you visit us, however, you might be eager to learn more about this condition and how it is treated. Below, you will find answers to some FAQs. If your specific questions are not included here, give us a call. We will be happy to personally assist you!

At first, it might seem counterintuitive to visit an oral health professional to receive treatment for an airway problem. However, it is important to note that dentists are experts in oral anatomy and the upper airway. Therefore, they only need a little additional training in order to become qualified to offer effective sleep apnea treatment.

Another advantage of relying on your dentist for sleep apnea treatment is that you should see your dentist every six months anyway. These appointments are a perfect time to express any concerns you may have about the quality of your sleep and receive guidance on your next steps.

Snoring is simply the sound that occurs when air pushes past tissues in the throat, causing them to vibrate. In OSA, those same tissues cause complete pauses in breathing because they block the airway. Often, OSA and snoring occur simultaneously.

However, snoring does not automatically mean that you have OSA. Some people snore only occasionally, such as when they have a cold or when they drink alcohol too close to bedtime. That type of snoring is usually nothing to be concerned about.

It is also worth noting that an absence of snoring does not necessarily mean that a person is breathing well during sleep.

Sleep apnea is not self-diagnosable. Many of its symptoms can also occur with other conditions, so an official sleep test is necessary in order to confirm a diagnosis.

However, it is still a good idea to monitor the quality of your sleep. You can use an app or a journal to take note of things like how long you were asleep, activities that might have affected your sleep, and more. Your care team can use that information to determine if you might need a sleep test.

Sleep Apnea Treatment – Covington, LA

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