Sleep Apnea Treatment (OSA) Houston TX

Sleep Apnea Symptoms 

Do you begin to drift off to sleep as you are driving or sitting in the movie theater? Are you irritable, lacking energy at work, or feeling somewhat depressed? If the answer is yes, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often have disrupted sleep and low blood oxygen levels which can lead to daytime drowsiness.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a disorder that involves interrupted breathing patterns during a person’s sleep. Untreated sleep apnea can result in repeated stops in breathing during sleep, preventing the brain and the rest of the body from getting enough sleep.

During OSA, the tongue pushes against the back of the throat. This blocks the upper airway, and airflow stops. When the oxygen level in the brain becomes low enough, the sleeper partially awakens, the obstruction in the throat clears, and the flow of air starts again, usually with a loud gasp.

Repeated cycles of decreased oxygenation lead to very serious cardiovascular problems. Additionally, those with OSA can suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, loss of concentration, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and the development of an enlarged neck.

Airway Dentistry – Our Process

Whether you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or not, we can help.

The first step in treatment resides in the recognition of the symptoms. During an evaluation, Dr. McRay and Dr. Robbins, our sleep apnea specialists, screen for any symptoms and provide you with a treatment plan which includes consultations with our partner physicians if needed.

In addition to gathering your detailed medical history, we assess the anatomic relationships in your maxillofacial region. We capture a 3D image using our cone beam technology to help screen and educate in regard to your airway and any abnormalities and restrictions inflow.

Next, we order a home sleep study for you to do in the comfort of your own home, allowing you to use our simple sleep monitoring equipment to record all pertinent data.

Finally, we route your results to our partner physicians to interpret, score, and diagnose your sleep apnea and determine your candidacy for an oral appliance.

While there are several treatment options available for sleep apnea, including CPAP, Dr. McRay or Dr. Robbins begin by offering oral appliances that provide an improved jaw position to address snoring and mild sleep apnea.

Oral Appliance Treatment

As your sleep apnea dentists, we are proud to offer you the very best custom-designed oral appliances to treat snoring and/or your mild to moderate OSA. Oral appliance therapy is considered a gold-standard in sleep apnea treatment for many who are unable or unwilling to tolerate CPAP therapy and/or surgery. Our custom fabricated two-piece mouthpiece is designed to prevent apnea by keeping the upper airway open. It shifts the lower jaw gently forward which opens the airway and prevents the base of the tongue from collapsing and blocking the airway.

Custom-Designed Solutions

We partner with OptiSleep to custom fabricate oral appliance therapy for our patients.  Why Do We Love It?

By using our digital 3D software, we can view any problems with your airway.

Benefits of Partnering with OptiSleep:

Fully Digital: The completely digital process ensures a high level of accuracy and eliminates the need for unpleasant impressions.

Fully Comfortable: The thin design of our 2-piece appliances is comfortable and enables you to open your mouth naturally.

Fully Superior: OPTISLEEP is a Class II medical device, manufactured with the highest quality materials and is 510(k) cleared.

Fully Flexible: Every appliance is customized for fit, and because we have a digital workflow, our appliances can be re-calibrated and reproduced at any time.

Begin your journey to a deeper, more restful sleep with us.