Sleep Apnea Mouth Guard Treatment

How Our Dentists Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Here at Evergreen Dental, our approach to treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea follows one of two approaches depending on patient needs and desires.

The first approach is simply starting with the fabrication of a Mandibular Advancement Device. This is the more “traditional” process and it is most often initiated when a patient receives a referral from their sleep physician requesting treatment with a Mandibular Advancement Device. This referral is brought to our office and the patient has an opportunity to ask question and make a plan with our dentists to create the appliance after it is determined that the teeth and jaw joints are in good condition to support the appliance. Fabrication begins with taking detailed Impressions of the patient’s teeth and jaw position. These are then sent out to the lab to fabricate the appliance from high-quality materials, ensuring both comfort and durability. The appliance is returned to the practice and then patient receives their appliance along with instructions on how to care for, use and adjustment of their appliance. Patients are encouraged to have annual follow up to insure the fit and integrity of the appliance over time.

The second approach used by our Dentists utilizes a method known as the “Seattle Protocol.” This protocol was formulated by Dr. Greggory Kinzer and Dr. Jeff Rouse and is taught through the Spear Dental Institute. This protocol is a multidisciplinary 6-step systematic approach to improving nighttime breathing. The protocol focuses on breathing habits and identifying the oral sleep appliance that is best suited to the patient’s specific condition. It also helps identify other medical areas specialties such as ENT, Oral Surgeon, Orthodontists, Allergists, and Myofunctional Therapists that can help treat the root cause issues associated with the breathing difficulties. The “traditional” approach is a one-size fits all approach, which ignores the fact that there are multiple reasons why a patient may not be breathing well and can fail to help identify minor factors that can easily be addressed to achieve huge improvement in breathing. The goal of the Seattle Protocol is to have a cost-effective way to identify the specific needs of the patient, gain resolution of the breathing issues and ultimately develop a plan to replace the appliance. This process utilizes a temporary oral appliance that can easily be used to simulate 5 different oral sleep appliances and assess their effectiveness. This allows for the identification of the least invasive and most effective appliance best suited to individual patient needs without having to fabricate every type of appliance with a dental lab. When the right appliance for the patient is identified, the temporary appliance is used to establish the jaw position in the fabrication of the final appliance. The appliance is then worn at night to help facilitate improved nighttime breathing. With the knowledge that the appliance treats the underlying causes of the breathing difficulties specific treatment options utilizing ENT, Oral Surgery, Orthodontics or Restorative Dentistry can be discussed and a plan made to achieve the results of the appliance without needing to wear it forever.