Sleep Apnea Specialist

O'Tisha Preston-Hill, DDS -  - Family Dentistry

Monarch Family Dentistry

O'Tisha Preston-Hill, DDS

Family Dentistry located in Douglasville, GA

Sleep apnea can often be successfully treated with snore guards and other devices to help you get more control over your condition. O’Tisha Preston-Hill, DDS, has ample experience treating sleep apnea with effective snore guards, oral appliances, and patient education at Monarch Family Dentistry in Douglasville, Georgia. You deserve better sleep quality and Dr. Preston-Hill is here to help you manage your sleep apnea with useful treatment methods. Call Monarch Family Dentistry or use the online scheduler.

Sleep Apnea Q & A

What is sleep apnea?

With sleep apnea, your breathing stops and starts repeatedly while you sleep. Sleep apnea can negatively impact your sleep quality and stop you from reaching those valuable deeper stages of your sleep cycle.

Sleep apnea affects people of all ages and there are three different types.

Central sleep apnea

Central sleep apnea happens when your brain doesn’t communicate properly with the muscles controlling your breathing.

Obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea happens when your throat muscles, such as your tongue and soft palate, temporarily relax. This narrows or closes your airway, impairing your breathing.

Without sufficient air supply, it reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood and your brain wakes you from your sleep, so you can open your airway.

This sleep disturbance can occur anywhere from five to 30 times every hour and you might not even be aware of many of these sleep disturbances.

Complex sleep apnea syndrome

Complex sleep apnea syndrome refers to when you have both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.

What causes sleep apnea?

The cause of sleep apnea isn’t definitive, but there are various risk factors, such as:

  • Aging
  • Obesity
  • Smoking
  • A narrowed airway
  • Sedatives and alcohol
  • Allergies and nasal congestion

Sleep apnea happens more commonly in males.

What are the treatments for sleep apnea?

Monarch Family Dentistry offers snore guards and oral appliances to treat sleep apnea.

There are different types of oral appliances. Most fit into your mouth just like an orthodontic retainer or a sports mouth guard.

How do snore guards work?

Snore guards support your jaw in a forward position and assist you in maintaining an open upper airway. Oral appliance therapy is an excellent way to treat obstructive sleep apnea and snoring and must be properly administered by a qualified dental professional.

Dentists often work closely alongside physicians to treat sleep apnea and snoring. You undergo a complete clinical evaluation during your visit to Monarch Family Dentistry, where Dr. Preston-Hill conducts a thorough examination of your jaw, teeth, tongue, and airway, along with any necessary X-rays.

Dr. Preston-Hill customizes oral appliances using physical or digital models and impressions of your teeth. She sends the models to a dental lab where your appliance is created. Next, you return to the dental office for your fitting. You’ll have scheduled follow up visits where Dr. Preston-Hill assesses how well your oral appliance therapy is working.

Sleep apnea can be daunting, and Dr. Preston-Hill is here to help. Book your consultation online or call Monarch Family Dentistry today.