Sleep apnea and oral appliance FAQ

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which the airway partly or completely collapses during sleep, causing breathing to become shallow or stop many times a night. Each pause lowers oxygen levels and briefly wakes the brain, which disrupts deep sleep.

Common signs include loud snoring, pauses in breathing that a partner notices, waking up gasping, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches and trouble concentrating. Only a sleep test can confirm it. You can try our quick symptom self-check as a starting point.

No. Many people snore without having sleep apnea, but loud, frequent snoring is one of its most common symptoms. Because they can be hard to tell apart, a sleep test is recommended before treating snoring.

Yes. Dentists trained in dental sleep medicine provide oral appliance therapy, a recognized treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Clinical practice guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine support oral appliance therapy for snoring, and for adults with sleep apnea who cannot tolerate CPAP or prefer a different therapy, when appropriate for their diagnosis.

The appliance fits over your upper and lower teeth and holds your lower jaw slightly forward. Because your tongue is attached to your lower jaw, it moves forward too, which keeps it and the surrounding soft tissue from falling back and blocking your airway. See the diagram.

Most patients find a custom appliance comfortable and adjust within a few nights to a couple of weeks. Some notice mild jaw or tooth soreness or extra saliva at first, which usually fades. Dr. Lester can adjust the fit and jaw position during follow-up visits.

After your consultation and sleep test, we take impressions of your teeth and your custom appliance is made. You return for a fitting visit, then follow-up visits to fine-tune the fit. Our team will give you a timeline for your specific case.

Rinse it and gently brush it each morning with a soft toothbrush and cool water, let it air-dry, and keep it in its case. Avoid hot water and toothpaste, which can damage it. Bring it to your dental checkups so it can be examined.

It depends on your diagnosis. Oral appliances are most often used for snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea. If your sleep apnea is severe, CPAP is usually still the recommended treatment, although some patients use an oral appliance together with CPAP. Some patients are not candidates for an appliance at all. Never stop using a prescribed CPAP without talking with your physician. Dr. Lester will review your sleep study and work with your physician. Having trouble with CPAP?

Yes. Sleep apnea must be confirmed by a sleep test before treatment. Our Rest Assured home sleep testing service lets you complete your test in your own bed, and the results are sent to Dr. Lester for review.

Rest Assured is the home sleep testing service Sleep Better Alabama uses so you can be tested in your own bed instead of spending a night at a sleep center. You receive simple wearable equipment and instructions, sleep at home, and your results are sent to Dr. Lester. Read more about sleep testing.

Because sleep apnea is a medical condition, oral appliance therapy is often billed to medical insurance rather than dental insurance. Coverage depends on your plan, so our team will help you verify your benefits before you begin.

Yes. We offer third-party financing through Cherry, CareCredit and Sunbit, so you can spread the cost of treatment into monthly payments. Our team can help you apply and choose the option that works best for you.

Sleep Better Alabama is located inside Healthy Smiles of Birmingham at 100 Heatherbrooke Park Dr., Suite A, Birmingham, AL 35242. We serve patients from across the Birmingham area, including Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Inverness, Greystone and Chelsea. Get directions.