Berkeley, CA patients can breathe better with the OASYS oral appliance for sleep apnea

Do you suffer from sleep apnea? Sleep disordered breathing can keep you and your partner from sleeping peacefully. The lack of proper breathing and oxygen affects the brain and body. To help you sleep and breathe more naturally, the team at Transcendentist in Berkeley, CA offers a dental appliance for sleep apnea patients.

Sleep apnea explained

Although found more commonly in adults, sleep apnea can affect patients of all ages. This medical condition involves a blockage in the upper airway during sleep. The most common form is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Patients with OSA develop airway blockages when the soft tissue collapses partially or completely disrupting airflow.

With a blocked airway, the patient experiences pauses or breaks in his/her breathing. The pauses may last several seconds and occur multiple times per hour. The lack of airflow also prevents proper oxygen from entering the lungs. Sensing a problem, the brain sends out adrenaline. The patient’s breathing is restarted and may sound like snorting, choking, or snoring. The result is disrupted sleep and a patient who feels tired or groggy the next day.

Sleep Apnea Solutions

Patients who have sleep apnea symptoms should consult their physicians for a proper diagnosis. The most common treatment is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. While sleeping, the patient wears a mask with a tube that connects to the CPAP machine. The machine uses forced air pressure to keep the airway open so that the patient can breathe freely. The continuous flow of air keeps the airway open so the soft tissues do not collapse. CPAP machines offer different mask options. Patients may choose from a mask that fits the nose and mouth, only the nose, or prongs that fit the nose.

As an alternative to bulky CPAP machines, some patients may be candidates for a dental appliance. Sleep apnea dental appliances help position the jaw and keep the tongue down to keep the airway open. Oral appliances are worn while sleeping to help patients breathe more freely and sleep better. At Transcendentist, we proudly offer OASYS oral appliances. The OASYS Oral/Nasal Airway System uses a revolutionary design to target multiple areas of the airway with one convenient device.

Many oral appliances use jaw positioning to treat sleep apnea. The hope is that repositioning the jaw will keep the airway open with soft tissue tension. Unfortunately, the soft tissues do not always respond to skeletal movement. The OASYS device differs from other sleep apnea treatments in that the soft tissues are prevented from collapsing in both the throat and the nasal passages. This sleep apnea dental appliance addresses upper airway resistance in the nasal region and any blockage in the throat area.

As an FDA approved medical device, the OASYS oral appliance strengthens the throat by pulling the tongue and lower jaw forward so the tongue cannot collapse and prevent airflow. This gives the tongue more space and freedom of movement. It also has dilators to improve nasal breathing so patients can breathe better. This also improves snoring.

For more information on dental appliances for sleep apnea, contact Transcendentist in Berkeley, CA today! Call (510) 800-7660.

Share this Article