Sleep Apnea Treatments in Silver Spring, MD

Oral Appliance Therapy

Dr. Bassford features effective alternatives for patients who aren’t satisfied with their CPAP machine. With oral appliance therapy, patients can achieve restful sleep without the added noise and an uncomfortable mask. Oral appliance therapy is a custom device designed to keep the airway open by holding the lower jaw and base of the tongue forward. 

Unlike CPAP, an oral appliance is small and it doesn’t require a power source, so you can easily take it anywhere. The device is easy to maintain, while a CPAP machine requires extensive cleaning regularly to eliminate harmful mold and bacteria. An oral appliance also allows you to sleep in any position.

Additional Sleep Apnea Treatments

CPAP and oral appliances aren’t your only treatment options. There are various lifestyle changes you can make to lessen the severity of your sleep apnea symptoms.  For example, losing weight will relieve pressure on the tissue that’s blocking the airway. Quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol consumption, especially right before bed, may lessen the intensity of your symptoms.

Patients are most likely to have sleep apnea episodes when sleeping on their backs. Strategies that work to prevent patients from sleeping on their backs are referred to as positional therapy. In some cases, surgery is recommended to remove the excess tissue — but Dr. Bassford makes every effort to treat our patients using less invasive therapies.

Our sleep dentist may also recommend mouth and throat exercises for your sleep apnea case. These exercises are simple to perform and help build muscle around the throat.