Oral Appliance Therapy

A dentist can help me get better sleep?

The Advanced Sleep DDS team has been trained to screen and treat sleep-related breathing disorders like Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) with oral appliance therapy (OAT).  OAT offers a portable, convenient and comfortable alternative to bulky CPAP masks or invasive surgery.

Custom oral appliances prescribed by a physician are an FDA approved treatment for mild to moderate OSA and an alternate treatment for CPAP-intolerant or non-compliant patients. Many find that oral appliances are preferable compared to CPAP, with use rates objectively measured at 83%1. Oral appliances have been shown to be as effective as CPAP on many real-world measures like daytime sleepiness, cognitive performance and high blood pressure2,3.

  • In-home sleep testing available
  • Sleep tests interpreted by a board-certified sleep physician
  • Physician prescribes oral appliance if appropriate
  • Dentist takes impressions for oral appliance
  • Custom appliance is made and fitted to patient
  • Follow up in-home sleep test
  • Ongoing treatment with regular check-ups

Do not mistake OAT with a drugstore snoreguard, which is not FDA cleared for treating OSA. Attempting to treat OSA with an unapproved device and not under the care of a trained professional could exacerbate the condition leading to potentially serious complications.

  • Oral appliances are custom made to fit the patient’s teeth and jaw
  • Portable for easy and convenient travel
  • No dry or itchy respiratory symptoms like those often associated with CPAP
  • Unlike CPAP, oral appliances are silent and will not disrupt partners’ sleep
  • Oral appliance therapy is less expensive + more convenient than both CPAP & surgery
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How it works:

  1. Schedule a complimentary screening consultation at our office by filling out the form on the right. The consultation will take 20-30 minutes.
  2. Our Sleep Wellness Coordinator will call to confirm the appointment
  3. If the screening indicates you are at risk for OSA, we will arrange for you to speak with a board-certified Sleep
  4. Physician or other physician at your preference. This might occur by videoconference.
  5. If appropriate, the physician will prescribe and arrange for you to receive a Home Sleep Test kit in the mail. In some cases you may need a sleep test in a sleep lab.
  6. The results from the test will be sent to the board-certified Sleep Physician for review and diagnosis.
  7. If the physician recommends Oral Appliance Therapy, we will take impressions of your teeth and create a custom device for you.
  8. After the device is made, it will require adjustments to ensure optimal airflow.
  9. A follow up sleep test will be used to verify that the device is working as intended. This may be conducted in your home.
  10. We will see you yearly to evaluate the oral appliance and to determine if there has been any change to your treatment needs.

OSA is a medical condition, which means that it is covered under medical insurance, not dental insurance even though treatment is delivered by a dentist. As a courtesy, we will verify and file your claim with your medical insurance carrier; however, verification is only an explanation of benefits based upon information that we received from your insurance carrier. It is not a guarantee of payment. We will assist you in determining the benefits for Oral Appliance Therapy provided by your insurance carrier, and will file claims for services rendered.

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At Advanced Sleep DDS, we strive to truly collaborate with physicians. This means regular updates and sharing post-titration sleep test results. We offer home sleep testing but are happy to work with the sleep lab of your choice or accept a sleep test conducted within 5 years.

Dr. John C. Peterson has specialized in treating patients diagnosed with sleep disorders since 1980. Advanced Sleep DDS is board certified and a fully licensed Medicare participating durable medical participating supplier. As a medical center of excellence all, Providers must satisfy and maintain specific training standards. ASD has met credentialing standards partnering with medical payers. This model has allowed our network of providers to focus on our patients delivering quicker access to affordable treatment for the sleep apnea community.

1.The objective mean use rate was 6.4 +- 1.7 h/night at 1 year follow-up in continuing users, with a regular use rate of 83%. Dieltjens M, Braem MJ, Vroegop AVMT, Wouters K, Verbraecken JA, De Backer WA, Van de Heyning PH, Vanderveken OM. Chest. 2013 Nov;144(5):1495-1502. doi: 10.1378/chest.13-0613.

2. Head-to-head trials confirm CPAP is superior in reducing OSA parameters on polysomnography; however, this greater efficacy does not necessarily translate into better health outcomes in clinical practice. Comparable effectiveness of OAm and CPAP has been attributed to higher reported nightly use of OAm, . Sutherland K, Vanderveken OM, Tsuda H, Marklund M, Gagnadoux F, Kushida CA, Cistulli PA, Oral Appliance Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Update. J Clin Sleep Med. 2014 Feb 15; 10(2): 215–227.

3. Comparable effectiveness of OAm and CPAP has been attributed to higher reported nightly use of OAm. Sutherland K, et al., Oral Appliance Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Update. J Clin Sleep Med. 2014 Feb 15; 10(2): 215–227.

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