If you have sleep apnea, you may have noticed some of its obvious effects. It leaves you feeling fatigued during the day and affects the slumber of your loved ones too, because of your snoring and gasping for breath throughout the night. But it affects you in less noticeable and potentially dangerous ways too – by adversely affecting your blood pressure and other aspects of your health. To improve your health and your quality of life, you’ll want to treat this condition – either with a CPAP machine or a sleep appliance. 

Both of these common treatment methods work by keeping your airway unobstructed while you sleep. The CPAP does it with a stream of pressurized air. The appliance moves your jaw into a position that clears you airway. 

Call us today at 253-999-9419 to schedule a consultation in our Puyallup, WA office. We can refer you to a specialist for a sleep study, if needed, for a formal diagnosis. We can also provide you with an oral appliance that will stop your snoring and help you enjoy a better night’s rest – whether or not you have sleep apnea. 

In the meantime, see why many of our patients are glad they chose an oral appliance instead of a CPAP:

  • Mask-Free Comfort – You use water with a CPAP to moisten the air you breathe in. Still, many people find using a CPAP dries out their mouth and/or throat. A mouthguard doesn’t dry you out. Plus, many people appreciate the lack of a mask, since they find wearing one all night is uncomfortable. 
  • Less of a Distraction – The lack of a mask and tubing also means less of a nighttime hassle for your bed partner. Plus, the noise of a CPAP may bother light sleepers. An appliance fits in your mouth a lot like a sports mouthguard, so it’s barely noticeable. 
  • Portability – Since an appliance is so small and unobtrusive, you can take it with you anywhere you go. And you can use it virtually anywhere too, including on an airplane or camping out in the woods. 
  • Hassle-Free Use – CPAP manufacturers recommend using distilled water with their machines to keep them in good working order. And of course you’ll need electricity and/or batteries to power a CPAP. In contrast, using a mouthguard is as easy as slipping it into your mouth.  

Interested in a sleep appliance? Call Smith & Wetterhus Dentistry at 253-999-9419 today.