If you suspect you have sleep apnea but keep putting off treatment because you don't want a CPAP machine, you're not alone — and you have more options than you think.
Why do so many people avoid that sleep apnea diagnosis? You can probably guess the answer. Patients don’t want to participate in a sleep study, or they dread the idea of having a CPAP machine to wear before drifting off to sleep each night. On top of that, sleep apnea just doesn’t feel like a health problem that’s “urgent.”
This was true for Norge Dental Center patient Dave Bolt. Despite getting a full night's sleep, he was dealing with daytime fatigue and exhaustion that wouldn't go away. He finally decided to get evaluated.
“I knew it was sleep apnea, and I wasn’t really surprised,” said patient Dave Bolt. “My wife had mentioned that I’d sometimes be gasping at night. I know that a lot of people aren’t doing anything because they don’t want a CPAP mask, but there are other options.”
Like Dave, most people delay evaluation and treatment, thinking they'll get to it eventually. But every night you wait is a night your body is struggling to breathe.
Meanwhile, your body is gasping for breath every night. It’s the reason you feel tired all the time. You don’t feel it’s urgent, but the long-term effects start to pile up. Sleep apnea leads to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, memory problems, headaches, and other health issues.
We’re not talking about the consequences of sleep apnea to scare you. We’re talking about it because so many patients find that it’s very easy to address once you have a diagnosis. And treatment doesn’t have to involve a CPAP machine.
Here’s how to go from ignoring sleep apnea to treating it (without ever putting on a CPAP mask):
If you’ve been looking for the sign to finally seek treatment for sleep apnea, here it is. Schedule a consultation with our team to talk through your options — including alternatives to a CPAP machine.
Signs that you have sleep apnea may include snoring, gasping for air, exhaustion during the day, being overweight, or frequent nighttime bathroom trips. You don’t have to have all of these symptoms to warrant an evaluation — even one or two can be worth mentioning to your doctor.
How did Dave’s treatment go? Since he wanted to avoid a CPAP machine, Dave was fitted for a custom sleep apnea appliance. A portable home sleep monitor confirmed his breathing and sleep quality had improved, and he started feeling energized again. He prefers the non-CPAP options provided to him at Norge Dental Center, finding the appliance easy to travel with and — maybe best of all for his wife — it's finally stopped his once-legendary snoring.
As experienced sleep apnea dentists in Williamsburg, VA, we've helped patients like Dave find comfortable alternatives to CPAP.
Norge Dental Center is home to experienced sleep apnea dentists in Williamsburg, VA, offering custom oral appliances as a comfortable alternative to CPAP. If you're ready to stop dreading bedtime and start sleeping better, schedule a consultation with our team today.
We hear some version of this pretty regularly at Norge Dental Center. A patient gets settled in the chair and, before we’ve even had a chance to take a look, says, “I’m sorry, I know my teeth are a mess,” or, “Please don’t judge me, I haven’t been to the dentist in years.”Sometimes they laugh when they say it, but we can usually tell they’re genuinely embarrassed. They may have put off making the appointment because of it, and by the time they finally come in, they’ve already imagined all the things we might say about their teeth.Here’s what we wish those patients knew before they ever walked through our doors: you don’t need to apologize to us.
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Read MoreWhether you’re new to the Williamsburg area, or new to the Norge Dental family… we welcome you to a new dental experience. We are so thankful you are here.
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