Sleep Apnea Treatment
What Is Sleep Apnea?
As a sleep disorder that causes irregular breathing during sleep, sleep apnea is most often a sign of an obstructed airway. Obstructions can be caused by the position of the jaw, flattened tissues in the throat while sleeping, and blockage by the tongue. This is called obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA.
With OSA, your breathing will stop and start many times throughout the night. You may find that you wake up gasping for breath. While usually your brain will ensure your breathing restarts before you pass out, it’s still very dangerous and impacts your mind and body in multiple ways.
Sleep apnea can affect your quality of life and can contribute to medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
Some of the more common symptoms of sleep apnea are:
- Severe Snoring
- Headaches When You Wake
- Dry or Sore Throat
- Irritability
- Constant Fatigue
- Difficulty Sleeping
Our dentist and team collaborate with licensed physicians and recommend that you talk to your medical doctor for a proper diagnosis before you receive treatment at our office.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, we provide oral appliances to help open your airway while you sleep and lessen symptoms that can negatively affect your life. Your custom oral appliance can be fitted comfortably over your teeth while you sleep to help you have a good night’s rest.
We invite you to contact our dental office to learn more about sleep apnea treatments and see how we can help you sleep well, breathe easy, and have a better quality of life.
Sleep Apnea Risk Factors
While sleep apnea can impact anyone, common factors that increase your risk of developing the disorder include:
- Being Overweight
- Having Issues with Nasal Congestion
- Using Alcohol or Smoking
- Being an Older Adult
- Having a Family History of Sleep Apnea
- Medical Conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes or High Blood Pressure
If you have any of these risk factors and notice symptoms of sleep apnea, reach out to make an appointment.
How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?
Our caring dentist and team understand that many patients (and their partners) find snoring to be a common nighttime annoyance. Snoring is typically caused by obstructions in the airway, such as collapsing tissues in the throat, large tonsils, or the tongue rolling back in the throat. As airway muscles relax during sleep, these tissues can narrow the upper airway and result in snoring.
To ensure that you and your loved ones can sleep peacefully through the night, our dentist may recommend a snoring treatment. Our most common snoring treatment is oral appliance therapy. For this treatment, we will provide you with a custom-made oral appliance, which you wear only while you sleep.
The snoring appliance works by ensuring that your airway stays open and free of obstructions while you sleep. This may be accomplished by preventing the tongue from rolling back or holding your jaw in a position that prevents the airway tissues from collapsing.
We will make certain that your custom snoring appliance fits effectively and comfortably to minimize snoring and allow you to sleep peacefully.
ProSomnus nighttime appliances are an effective, comfortable option for treating sleep apnea. This treatment method uses custom-made, clear aligners that you wear at night. The aligners look and work similarly to removable mouthguards for retainers. So, they are easy to take on and off.
You’ll set up an appointment with us and then get your at-home sleep study. Then, scans of your mouth are sent to the ProSomnus lab, and they rate your one-of-a-kind oral appliance.
These devices are much more comfortable to wear than the traditional method for treating sleep apnea, called a CPAP machine. They are also quiet, discreet, and won’t disrupt others around you.
If snoring or sleep apnea is affecting your rest, NightLase may be the solution you’ve been looking for. This non-invasive laser treatment helps reduce snoring and improve breathing by gently tightening the tissues in your throat—without surgery, pain, or downtime.
How NightLase Works
- A laser is directed at the soft tissues in the back of the throat, including the uvula, tongue, and tonsils.
- NightLase uses laser energy to stimulate collagen production in the soft tissues of your throat, causing the tissue to shrink and tighten.
- This process helps keep your airway open, reducing snoring and improving airflow.
What to Expect
- Each session takes about 30 minutes and is performed in-office.
- The laser is applied comfortably inside your mouth—no needles, no discomfort.
- A full treatment consists of three sessions over six weeks for best results.
- Results can last up to a year, and the treatment can be repeated as needed.
Benefits of NightLase
- Reduces snoring for a quieter, more restful sleep.
- Improves sleep apnea symptoms by enhancing airway function.
- Completely non-invasive—no surgery, no pain, no recovery time.
- No need for sleep devices like CPAP machines or mouthguards.
Sleep Better, Breathe Easier
NightLase offers a simple, comfortable way to improve your sleep quality without wearing a device at night or undergoing chemical treatments. Experience a more restful night and a refreshed morning with this gentle and effective solution.
Rest Better with Sleep Apnea Treatment!
A good night’s rest is key to living a healthy life. If you aren’t getting enough deep sleep throughout the night, you will always feel tired. Exhaustion impacts your ability to function in work and school, at home, and much more.
But, you don’t have to live with restless nights and chronic fatigue. When sleep apnea is the source of your problem, Dr. DeStefano can assist you with effective, comfortable sleep apnea treatment in Pittsford.
If you snore frequently, we encourage you to contact our office today to learn more about snoring treatment and schedule your next visit with our dentist.
