Snoring isn’t just a nuisance that your loved ones have to put up with; it can be one of the biggest indicators that you have a sleep-breathing disorder known as sleep apnea. As a result, your body isn’t getting enough rest, and you could be in danger of chronic exhaustion as well as life-threatening heart problems. Dr. Cohen can help you take the necessary steps towards having your sleep apnea treated; call our dental office today to schedule a consultation to discuss sleep apnea therapy in St. Johns, FL.
Why Choose Julington Creek Family Dentistry for Sleep Apnea Therapy?
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What is Sleep Apnea?
“Apnea” is defined as the cessation of airflow for at least 10 seconds. People with sleep apnea will frequently stop breathing while they’re asleep. This could be because the tongue, soft palate, and/or throat tissues have relaxed and are blocking the passage of air. Whenever breathing stops, the body has a fit of wakefulness, and consequently you never enjoy the benefits of a full night’s sleep. Sleep apnea can be recognized by loud snoring, periodic awakenings while gasping for air, and daytime fatigue, often accompanied by irritability, morning headaches, and depression.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Dr. Cohen can provide a special oral appliance that’s designed to keep the airway clear so that you can keep breathing uninterrupted throughout the night. Some appliances are designed to reposition the lower jaw along with any soft tissues that could potentially block the throat; others are made specifically to hold the tongue in place to prevent it from falling backwards. In either case, your appliance will be custom-made so that it fits perfectly in your mouth.
Understanding the Cost of Sleep Apnea Treatment
While the thought of getting their sleep under control sounds wonderful for many patients, one of their first questions is expectedly, “What does it cost?” The price of sleep apnea treatment can vary from person to person based on a few factors, the most important of which we’ll outline below so you have a better idea of what to expect.
Does Dental Insurance Cover the Cost of Sleep Apnea Treatment?
In most cases, NO, dental insurance can not be used to help pay for sleep apnea treatment.
This is true even if you receive an oral appliance from Dr. Cohen, which understandably confuses a lot of people.
The reason is that sleep apnea is considered a medical problem, not a dental one. That’s why this kind of treatment is often covered by standard health insurance, even if care is being provided by a dentist.
Factors That Affect the Cost of Sleep Apnea Treatment
Sleep Test: Before you can be treated for sleep apnea, we need to make sure you actually have the condition. This involves undergoing a sleep test either at home or in a lab and having the results analyzed by a physician, which incurs a separate cost.
Insurance Coverage: Expanding on the point from above, using your insurance to partially cover sleep apnea treatment can be complicated, and the types of services and how much they will pay can vary from plan to plan.
Specific Treatment: Generally, oral appliance treatment costs less overall than traditional CPAP therapy, both in the short and long term.
Treat Your Sleep Apnea Now to Improve Your Health
It can’t be overstated how detrimental sleep apnea can be to every aspect of your physical and mental health, plus it can take a massive toll on your financial well-being, too.
People with untreated sleep apnea are two to three times more likely to develop cardiovascular issues, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and experience a motor vehicle/workplace accident. Each of these conditions can easily incur thousands upon thousands of dollars in healthcare costs, but research has repeatedly shown that by getting sleep apnea under control, a person can largely mitigate the risk to their body, mind, and wallet.
Making Sleep Apnea Treatment More Affordable
We want to make this type of care as accessible as possible, which is why Julington Creek Family Dentistry offers low-to-no-interest financing through CareCredit. You’ll be shown a list of plans to choose from after entering in some basic information so you can select the payment and schedule that suits you best. It has helped millions of patients around the country as well as hundreds within our own practice.
Why Should I See a Dentist for Sleep Apnea Treatment?
While you may not immediately think about seeing your dentist when you learn you have sleep apnea, the truth is that your oral health provider is a medical expert in the upper respiratory system. In many cases of obstructive sleep apnea, the problem is caused by the tissues in the mouth and neck restricting the breathing process by weighing heavily upon the windpipe during slumber, and dentists are uniquely qualified to reposition the jaw in a way to keep these structures from stressing the airway. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, asking your dentist about the problem during your checkup may be the best way to set you on the path to finding relief.
How Long and Frequent Are Sleep Apnea Events or Episodes?
The tissues in the neck and mouth may weigh upon the windpipe for between ten seconds and two minutes at a time, and this can occur thirty times or more per hour of sleep. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep test will be necessary to gauge how serious your case is by measuring how often your episodes occur and determining the cause of the problem. A patient who has one to fifteen apnea events per hour has a mild case, but the case of someone who experiences thirty or more is considered severe.
Can I Diagnose Sleep Apnea on My Own?
Having symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have sleep apnea, and it’s important to be diagnosed by a qualified health professional before receiving treatment for the problem. While devices like smartwatches may help alert someone that they should pay attention to how well they sleep, they are not able to deliver a qualified diagnosis. The only way to know for sure if you have sleep apnea is to receive a sleep test from a sleep doctor, and the team at Julington Creek Family Dentistry will be happy to refer you to a trusted provider in the St. Johns area.
Can My Dentist Diagnose Sleep Apnea?
The condition can only be properly diagnosed through a sleep test administered by a qualified sleep doctor, but a dentist can screen a patient to determine if the test is necessary and help treat the issue after apnea is determined to be the problem. At Julington Creek Family Dentistry, we offer oral appliance therapy that can noninvasively reposition the jaw to prevent the airway from being constricted during sleep. Many patients at our St. Johns office report that this is a much more comfortable solution than traditional CPAP therapy.
