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Are you tired of remembering to bring your CPAP machine with you on vacations or short trips to visit family and friends? If you suffer from sleep apnea & snoring, you're all too familiar with the constant struggle with this machine and the embarrassment that may come with using it. However, you know that is it vital to ensuring you are consistently breathing throughout the night. If you are interested in learning about alternative ways to treat sleep apnea that may not require a breathing machine, keep reading.

First, we want to make sure that you are familiar with the symptoms of sleep apnea and snoring. While they seem to be related, snoring is more frequent and does not carry with it the dangers that sleep apnea does. Be sure to read more about symptoms and differences here.

If you visit with an advanced dental professional, they may discuss with you the option of oral appliance therapy. This treatment method is often used for people who have issues utilizing a CPAP machine or for those who choose not to use the machine. Essentially, your dental practitioner will work directly with you to properly fit and design a custom-molded device. Once the appliance is inserted, the muscles in your mouth, including your tongue, will reposition themselves for ease of air flow. Usually, it takes a few weeks to get comfortable with the device. Your dentist will create a follow-up plan to ensure the oral appliance therapy is working by ensuring the device is still fitting like it should and functioning to allow you to get a good, solid night's rest.

The benefits for using oral appliance therapy to treat sleep apnea and snoring is that it is a non-invasive approach that leaves you feeling more comfortable and stress free. The appliance can be taken in and out of the mouth easily and travels compactly for short trips or long vacations (and it's much quieter at night!)

If you're looking for non-invasive sleep apnea relief in the St. Louis Metro area, we encourage you to seek out Dr. Harvey Breckner at Breckner Dental located in Edwardsville, Illinois. He is a dentist with advanced training and would be happy to help you with a plan to treat sleep apnea and discuss proper snoring treatments with you. Visit BrecknerDental.com for more information.