Oral appliance therapy used to treat mild to moderate sleep apnea

“It’s another typical evening, and your family is getting ready for bed. You put the kids to sleep after walking the dogs, and now both you and your bed partner are ready to call it a night. You each retreat to your separate bedrooms. Yes, separate bedrooms. Oddly enough, you are not alone as snoring and sleep apnea affects 20 million people,” stated Rosemarie Rohatgi, a doctor of dental medicine and a formally trained sleep apnea dentist who has been practicing dentistry for more than 20 years.

Snoring is a result of the airway being partially blocked, which causes the soft tissues of the uvula and soft palate to vibrate. Sleep apnea occurs when the airway becomes completely blocked and air is not able to move through the airway, Rohatgi said. This obstruction may occur anywhere from the soft palate down to below the base of the tongue.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring; awakening during sleep coughing, choking or gasping; daytime fatigue; morning headaches; elevated blood pressure; and cardiovascular disease. Disorders associated with snoring and sleep apnea include gastric reflux or acid reflux with indigestion; grinding of the teeth during sleep; diabetes; mood swings; depression and anxiety, Rohatgi said.

“CPAP has been the gold standard for the treatment of sleep apnea. However, most people are unaware of the new practice parameters for the use of oral appliances as a standard of care for mild to moderate sleep apnea,” noted Rohatgi, whose practice, San Diego Sleep Therapy, focuses exclusively on treating snoring and sleep apnea through oral appliance therapy. “If you or someone you know exhibits some of these symptoms, our office can help. We use a team-based approach and work closely with boardcertified sleep physicians and your PCP to correctly diagnose and resolve your sleep issues.”

San Diego Sleep Therapy is at 5414 Oberlin Drive, Suite 235 in San Diego. For more information, call (858) 617-0660 or visit sandiegosleeptherapy.com.

COURTESY PHOTO Dr. Rosemarie Rohatgi focuses her practice on oral appliance therapy.