Sleep apnea affects millions of US kids and adults. This common sleep disorder occurs when patients stop breathing for ten or more seconds at a time up to 100s of times at night. There are two main forms of apnea: central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea is less common, and it occurs when the brain ceases to trigger the body to inhale during sleep. The more common form, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when the throat is physically blocked, obstructing airflow. Sleep doctors typically treat obstructive apnea using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) systems. While this solution is beneficial and effective for many patients, there are those who find themselves unable to adjust to the use of CPAP systems or inadequately helped with these treatments. For these patients, the dentists and team at Coral Springs Dentistry can help. We offer oral appliance therapy as an alternative to CPAP as well as providing combined therapy to improve the effectiveness of CPAP.
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