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The Sleep Apnea Appliance is a custom built appliance that is a treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea.
To fit the appliance to the patient, we take impressions of the patient´s teeth.
Once the custom appliance is inserted, the appliance gently pulls the lower jaw, and thus the base of the tongue, forward so the tongue is not able to fall back into the airway at night. This prevents the tongue from blocking the airway. The appliance is adjustable at home.
Once the appliance is in use, we often do home pulse oximetry studies to make sure the appliance is set at the correct position and to make sure that the patient's oxygen level is in the normal range. The appliance is comfortable and most patients adapt readily to wearing the appliance at night while they sleep.
The appliance does have to be cleared with the patient's insurance company. We are happy to contact the patient's insurance in order to obtain clearance from the insurance company. All patients needing the appliance do have to complete a sleep study so we have precise data for a comfortable and accurate fit.
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