Once we have approval from your medical insurance company to move ahead with treatment, it will take approximately 2-3 weeks after the impression appointment to receive your custom appliance from the lab.
We will continue to see you for follow up appointments as this process of having more restful sleep takes time.
Hopefully, you will begin to feel more rested in the morning, and:
- You will begin to have more energy throughout the day
- Morning headaches may begin to go away
- The number of times you wake up throughout the night will decrease
- Your partner will notice less snoring and begin to sleep better also
- You'll have more clarity in your thinking, especially earlier in the day
This is not submitted to dental insurance as obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition.
Most medical insurance offers some coverage for oral appliance therapy after a diagnosis by a physician and in some cases, a trial of CPAP therapy. We recommend contacting your medical insurance company to obtain information regarding your coverage.
If we reach a point where we are not getting the desired effectiveness from oral appliance therapy, Dr. Judi may refer you for an evaluation with an ENT physician as there can be issues with the tissue in the nasal passages and the airway that should be evaluated.
You may be a candidate for combination therapy which is the use of the oral appliance in conjunction with CPAP, allowing the CPAP air pressure to potentially be decreased due to the aid of the appliance in opening the airway.
Dr. Judi will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of oral appliance therapy for you and will always refer you to other medical specialists if needed.
If you're missing teeth, that will be noted at the consultation appointment and is taken into consideration as to the type of oral appliance best suited for your situation. It depends upon the location and the number of missing teeth.
Throughout the process of treatment at our office, Dr. Judi will send letters to your medical providers updating them on the process and its effectiveness. That is why it is important for us to know your medical providers. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects many aspects of one’s overall health and so all medical providers need to be aware of your therapy for OSA.
Questions?
Have questions? Wondering if you're a good candidate
for oral appliance therapy? We're here to help!