Sleep Apnea Treatment in Seattle
Get a Good Night’s Rest Thanks to Seattle Dental Associates
If you snore, wake up exhausted, or have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and can’t stand your CPAP mask, there is another option. At Seattle Dental Associates, Dr. Theron Baker makes custom oral appliances that keep your airway open while you sleep. No mask, no hose, no machine humming next to the bed.
We work closely with board-certified sleep physicians and under their direction. Your sleep physician diagnoses your condition and prescribes your appliance. We handle the dental side, from the digital scan of your bite to the final fitting in our downtown Seattle office.
Signs You May Have Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing repeatedly stops and starts while you sleep. Many people live with it for years without knowing. Common signs include:
- Loud or chronic snoring
- Gasping or choking during sleep
- Waking up tired after a full night in bed
- Dry mouth or headaches in the morning
- Restless sleep or insomnia
- Frequent nighttime urination
- Irritability or trouble concentrating during the day
If any of these sound familiar, talk to your physician about a sleep study. In Washington State, sleep apnea and snoring can only be diagnosed by a board-certified sleep physician.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
The most common form is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It happens when the muscles that support your tongue, soft palate, and throat relax during sleep. Your airway narrows or closes, and you briefly stop breathing until your body rouses you enough to start again. This can happen many times a night without you remembering it.
There are also less common forms, central sleep apnea and complex sleep apnea, which involve how your brain signals the muscles that control breathing. Oral appliance therapy is used to treat obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.
Oral Appliance Therapy: A Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard That Patients Actually Wear
The clinical name for this device is a mandibular advancement device, or MAD. It looks similar to a sports mouth guard or a retainer, and you only wear it while you sleep. A mandibular advancement device gently holds your lower jaw slightly forward, which keeps your airway open so you can breathe normally through the night.
For many patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, a MAD works just as well as CPAP, and patients actually wear it. You put it in at night, take it out in the morning, and that is the whole routine.
We partner with SomnoMed, a global leader in the design and manufacture of oral appliances for sleep apnea. SomnoMed appliances are FDA-cleared, custom fit to your bite, and built to be comfortable and durable night after night.
Depending on your case, Dr. Baker may recommend a tongue retention device, which holds your tongue forward instead of your jaw, or another custom mouth guard design. Each one is made to reduce interruptions in your breathing and cut down on the frequency and loudness of snoring.
Lifestyle habits matter too. Maintaining a healthy weight, limiting screens 30 to 60 minutes before bed, cutting back on afternoon caffeine, and avoiding alcohol and smoking can all support better sleep. Our team will help you build a plan that fits your routine.
Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard vs. CPAP
CPAP has been the standard treatment for sleep apnea for decades, and for good reason. It works. But it also comes with a well-documented problem: many patients stop using it within the first year because the mask is uncomfortable, the machine is loud, or it is hard to travel with. A treatment only works if you use it.
A MAD is not the right fit for every case of sleep apnea, particularly more severe cases. But if you have tried CPAP and could not stick with it, or you know upfront that a mask is not for you, an oral appliance is worth asking your sleep physician about. For the right patients, it is a legitimate and often preferred alternative.
Here is how the two compare for patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea:
Mandibular Advancement Device
- Small, portable, no machine or power source needed
- No mask, no hose, no noise
- Easy to travel with
- Custom-fit to your bite
- Best suited for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and snoring
CPAP Machine
- Highly effective, especially for moderate to severe cases
- Requires a machine, mask, and power source every night
- Can feel uncomfortable or claustrophobic for some patients
- Bulkier to travel with
- Often the first-line treatment recommended by sleep physicians
How Sleep Apnea Treatment Works at Seattle Dental Associates
Getting an oral appliance should not feel like a part-time job. Your sleep physician oversees your treatment, and we handle everything on the dental side.
- Diagnosis from a sleep physician. If you have not been diagnosed yet, a board-certified sleep physician will order a sleep study. Many patients can now complete this with an at-home test instead of an overnight stay in a sleep lab.
- Consultation and prescription. Already diagnosed, struggling with CPAP, or want to start treatment with an oral appliance? Come in for a consultation. If a MAD is a good fit, we will ask you to contact your sleep physician to obtain a prescription for your dentist to fabricate one. Physicians typically send these without much trouble.
- Digital scan. Dr. Baker takes a digital scan of your bite chairside. No messy impressions.
- Custom fabrication. Your scan goes to SomnoMed, where your appliance is built to the exact specifications your case requires. Once it is finished, it ships directly to our office.
- Fitting and adjustment. You come in for one more visit to have your appliance fitted and adjusted, and you are ready to sleep.
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What Our Patients Are Saying
Read what our clients have said about what left them smiling whenever they leave our office!
Dr. Baker was super fast and very gentle. The best numbing I ever had and he has top of the line technology so you get the most advanced and best work out there. Great experience!
Hands down, the best experience in a dentist office ever! They listened to my concerns, needs and even my wish list to design a treatment plan that meets my ultimate goal. Shout out to Jessica and Chelsea for taking good care of me through the process.
First off they are great dentists and dental hygienists. Their receptionists are wonderful too. What really sets them apart is that they are so personable. If you are someone who has a fear of dentists, this is definitely the place to go. They are state of the art in their procedures and their equipment. I am very pleased with their service.
A great dentist! Super professional and cares about your dental health without shaming your current health.
Great service! Always provide recommendations that are best to the patients instead of profit.