What is an Oral Appliance?

An oral appliance is a specially designed “mouthpiece” similar to an orthodontic retainer. It fits over your upper and lower teeth and gently realigns the tongue and jaw to open the airway and allow improved airflow to the lungs as you sleep.  Many different appliance designs are available. Each appliance is custom made by a dentist who has advanced training in dental sleep medicine. Treatment success depends largely on selecting the appropriate device and customizing it to each patient’s situation.

Consultation services?

After seeing a physician or a pulmonologist, we will schedule an appointment for a consultation with our sleep team. During this consultation we will explain the risks, benefits and reasonable expectations of oral appliance therapy. 

First, we will provide an initial evaluation and screening to see if oral appliance therapy is right for your situation. If so, we will schedule an appointment for further documentation that would include x-rays, impressions and digital pictures. Then we will finalize which oral appliance would be most effective and comfortable for you.

Overall, our consultation provides an opportunity to demonstrate the function of an oral appliance and meet our sleep team. 

What will we do?

Dr. Osborne will do a complete inquiry into your history and background as well as a head, neck, and throat evaluation to assess your individual situation. We will then work closely with you for a three to six month period to ensure the comfort and effectiveness of your treatment. You will then be seen at least once a year to assess your progress. This comprehensive approach is important to achieving a successful treatment outcome. 

What about insurance coverage?

Most medical insurance plans cover sleep apnea therapy. We will bill your medical plan for any services related to sleep apnea. We’re also always happy to answer any detailed questions you may have throughout the process. 

Our sleep team will make treatment recommendations based on what we believe is in your best interest to improve your sleep and oral health. We will also help you to obtain the maximum insurance benefits possible as we have been effectively advocating on our patients’ behalf with insurance companies for over ten years.

We also will help you understand the cost of your treatment so you can make informed decisions about oral appliance therapy. We send pre-treatment determinations of benefits to your insurance company prior to you pursuing treatment.