If you suffer from snoring or obstructive sleep apnea, our team at Jordan Valley Dental offers EMA® oral appliances to help. EMA works by opening the bite and gently advancing the mandible (or jaw) with elastic straps to increase airway space. Dr. Brigham G. Colton and Dr. Kyle Baldwin can provide you with an oral appliance custom-made to fit your mouth and safely and effectively treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in West Jordan, Utah. For more information, or to schedule your appointment with our dentists, call our office 801-282-2323.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea & Snoring
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder, or sleep-related breathing disorder, marked by the pauses in breathing for 10 seconds or more during sleep. In fact, the term apnea originates from the Greek word meaning “without air.” Obstructive sleep apnea specifically occurs when the body’s muscles relax, causing the tongue or collapsed soft tissue to obstruct the airway. The body reacts to the closure of the airway by disrupting deep sleep enough to start breathing again, depriving the sufferer of a good night’s sleep.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) afflicts more than 40 million Americans, and untreated, OSA can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, liver problems and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Snoring is also a sign of restricted airflow during sleep and can result in excessive daytime sleepiness for your partners as well as yourself.
Sleep Apnea & Snoring Treatments
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine now recommends oral appliances such as EMA as a front line of treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, and in cases where patients find CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines difficult or uncomfortable to use. Oral appliances fit entirely inside the mouth, so they are easily portable and do not use electricity or make noise, and they allow the wearer to change sleep positions. EMA is also FDA cleared for the treatment of both obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.
EMA offers advantages not found in other oral appliances:
- You can talk and even drink water while wearing it
- It is completely free of metal and the EMA elastic straps are latex free
- You can easily change the EMA elastic straps yourself; no additional trips to the dentist needed
Patients should consult their medical doctor and dentist to decide if a dental device is right for them. The patient’s medical history, including a history of asthma, breathing or respiratory disorder, or other relevant health problems, should be considered in determining whether this device is appropriate.
