Sleep apnea is a serious and potentially life-threatening disorder involving repeated pauses in breathing while asleep. The most common form of this condition is obstructive sleep apnea. This occurs when there is an obstruction of an individual’s airway that interferes with the flow of oxygen through nose or mouth during sleep.
In someone afflicted with obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles of the throat and mouth relax during sleep to the point where they fall back into the upper airway and create a blockage that restricts breathing.
The signs and symptoms of this disorder during sleeping hours may include, loud snoring, episodes of breathing cessation, abrupt awakenings, episodes of gasping for air, along with difficulties getting a good night’s sleep. An individual with sleep apnea will exhibit problems during the day as well. Sleep apnea can lead to a morning headache, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability. Furthermore suffering with sleep apnea can be associated with other medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular and heart issues, gastric reflux and depression.
If you are at risk of having sleep apnea, a sleep study is needed to determine the severity of your sleep apnea. We understand the importance of getting accurate results in a timely manner. That is why we offer easy home sleep testing solutions. We work with board certified sleep physicians using convenient telehealth. No need to go from one office to another! Your sleep test will be done in the comfort of your own bed
The most common form of therapy for obstructive sleep apnea is a CPAP machine that is worn while sleeping. However, in cases of mild to moderate sleep apnea, as well as cases where the patient is not using their CPAP, an oral appliance can be prescribed to treat the condition. We offer various FDA approved appliances, which, when worn during sleep, reposition your jaw and tongue to open your airway. This non-invasive therapy is the main alternative to CPAP therapy and can fit easily into your lifestyle due to its comfort, ease of wear, and portability. There are many oral sleep appliances and our office will customize a treatment plan and appliance for optimal therapy.
At the office of Robert E. Spatafora, DDS, our sleep apnea appliances are individually fabricated, and customized for both maximum effectiveness and comfort.
We are committed to providing treatment for obstructive sleep apnea to all our patients no matter their financial situation. Oral Appliance Therapy for obstructive sleep apnea is covered by most health insurance plans. We are proud to be contracted with Medicare, and we are working hard to get contracts with other insurance providers. If we do not have a contract with your insurance provider it does not mean we can not treat you, and it also does not mean that insurance will not help pay for your therapy. In most cases we are able to obtain benefits at in-network levels for most PPO and EPO plans. Our goal is to minimize out-of-pocket costs to all our patients.
If you will have a large out-of-pocket costs- due to high deductible or lack of medical insurance coverage- we offer payment plans on a case by case basis. You can't put a price on a good night's rest. It directly affects your health and performance in day to day life. The cost of not treating obstructive sleep apnea: ongoing doctor visits and medications for health issues caused and/or made worse by sleep apnea like hypertension, heart disease, acid reflux, impotence, etc. That is only monetary, the real cost is to your overall health. Our team is dedicated to getting you the good night's sleep you deserve, and we will be supporting you through this therapy beyond delivery of the appliance. We have set the bar quite high with our standards and integrity and we are always striving to raise it higher!