Sleep Apnea Treatment In Mississippi
Millions of Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which can lead to many physical and mental health issues, such as depression and strokes.
Dental sleep medicine can help adults and children achieve a better night’s rest, which can lead to improved health and mood.
Learn more about how Dr. Todd Fincher can treat your sleep disorder at his offices in Greenwood, Columbus, Oxford, MS…
A better nights sleep is possible...
Sleep better
Patients with sleep apnea tend to sleep fitfully or wake up regularly during the night. Sleep apnea treatment can allow you and your bed partner to achieve a full night’s rest, leading to improved mood, alertness, and concentration.
Stop Snoring
Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea. Dr. Fincher’s treatments for sleep apnea can open up your airway during the night so you can rest quietly and soundly..
Stay Healthy
Sleep apnea can lead to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. Treatment of your condition can reduce your risk of developing these harmful effects.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is the cessation of breathing during sleep and is a common problem for both adults and children. Left untreated, sleep apnea can impact every aspect of your life. Of course, lack of rest negatively affects your energy levels, ability to concentrate, and mood, but it can also lead to serious health issues like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and erectile dysfunction. It can also make driving more dangerous. Studies show that people who suffer from daytime sleepiness because of sleep apnea are nearly 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a traffic accident.
The condition can take one of three forms:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea: By far the most common form of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea is caused by excessive tissue at the back of the tongue, throat, or nose blocking the airway. Obstructive sleep apnea can often be treated with a simple oral appliance therapy provided by Dr. Fincher.
- Central Sleep Apnea: Central sleep apnea is very rare and is caused by the brain failing to signal the body’s muscles to breathe while sleeping. This sleep disorder requires the attention of a specialist.
- Mixed Sleep Apnea: Some patients might suffer from a combination of both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Can Be Dangerous
If left untreated
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a variety of anatomical and lifestyle factors including obesity and smoking. Dr. Todd Fincher can send you home with a WatchPAT device, which allows us to track your sleep and diagnose your level of sleep apnea comfortably in your own home. This study helps us design a treatment plan, which may include a custom oral appliance that shifts your lower jaw forward, opens your airways, stops snoring, and improves your sleep.
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How Can a Dentist Improve My Sleep?
Dr. Fincher, working together with his sleep physician partners, can alleviate the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea with a custom, state-of-the-art oral appliance that holds your lower jaw forward, opening up your upper airway. These comfortable oral devices, designed in partnership with Ripple®, are simply worn like an orthodontic device. They can help you breathe normally, reducing snoring and allowing you and your partner to sleep peacefully through the night.
When prescribed and provided by a trained dental sleep medicine dentist like Dr. Fincher, custom oral appliances are more effective than over-the-counter or generic devices. These breathing disorder appliances are designed using a mold of your mouth, which ensures the device will fit comfortably and treat your specific and unique condition.
Obstructive sleep apnea is often treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. While effective, many patients find CPAP machines cumbersome. For some patients, the oral appliance therapy offered by Dr. Fincher may be able to serve as an immediate alternative to CPAP. In other cases, he can create a plan that uses an oral device in conjunction with CPAP. Over time, the patient may experience reduced dependency on CPAP and be able to rely on oral appliance therapy alone.
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If you are struggling to sleep through the night, you may have a sleep disorder. Dr. Fincher can work with you and other sleep physicians to determine if your disorder is obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, or some other issue. If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering from obstructive sleep apnea or you are unhappy with CPAP therapy, Dr. Fincher can craft a custom oral appliance that will open your upper airway with no inconvenience to you or your partner.
Don’t let yourself experience another sleepless night. If you live in Greenville or a nearby community, contact Dr. Fincher online today or reach his office in Greenwood, MS, at (662) 595-4300, or his office in Columbus, MS, at (662) 328-1825.
Diagnosing Sleep Disorders
Screening and diagnosis of sleep breathing disorders—including snoring and mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea—involve initial questions and specific diagnostic testing. Dentists like Dr. Todd Fincher, who have been trained in dental sleep medicine, can screen patients for sleep disorders. Dr. Fincher, who serves Greenville and surrounding communities, then works in consultation with physician specialists at Greenwood Leflore Hospital Sleep Disorders Center to conduct a sleep study, determine your specific sleep disorder diagnosis, and choose the treatment that’s best for you.
In order to diagnose sleep apnea, a patient traditionally needed to undergo a sleep study by staying overnight at a hospital or sleep center with a variety of machines monitoring their breathing and sleep patterns. Dr. Fincher offers a unique sleep study option that allows patients to spend the night in their own homes while still providing the necessary data for diagnosis. Dr. Fincher can provide patients with a WatchPAT device, which can be worn comfortably overnight. Physicians specializing in sleep disorders can use the data collected at the patient’s home just as effectively as data collected at a hospital.
How To Recognize the Signs of Sleep Apnea
You may have sleep apnea if you experience…
Snoring
Snoring is caused by the vibration of tissues in your airway and is usually indicative of obstructive sleep apnea.
Daytime Sleepiness
Sleep apnea prevents you from achieving a full night of rest, resulting in drowsiness at school, work, or on the road.
Moodiness
Especially in the case of children, sleepless nights can result in a bad temperament and mood swings. Many of the symptoms of developmental disorders are also symptoms of sleep apnea.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for sleep apnea in adults include:
Genetic Predisposition
Large Adenoids and Tonsils
Crooked Or Crowded Teeth
Risk factors for sleep apnea in children include:
Smoking
Obesity
Habitual Alcohol Consumption
What Our Patients Are Saying
Sleep Apnea in Children
Sleep disorders can be detrimental to a child’s development. If sleeping through the night is a struggle for your child, it is important to seek a diagnosis. Dr. Fincher can determine if your child has obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, or some other sleep disorder. Dr. Fincher partners with HealthyStart™ to provide therapy for children suffering from sleep disorders and is one of the only dentists in the Greenwood or Columbus areas to do so.
How Much Does Treatment Cost?
Custom-made oral appliances cost about $1,500 per appliance and a home sleep test costs $250. While dental insurance may or may not cover treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, Dr. Fincher offers many financing options, including CareCredit®.
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Dr. Todd Fincher DDS
Dr. Todd Fincher and his team of compassionate professionals care about your unique oral health needs. We strive to deliver an experience that surpasses your expectations. Dr. Fincher holds several distinctions:
- Official Dental Sponsor of Miss Mississippi USA
- Practicing pediatric dentist at Greenwood Leflore Hospital
- American Society of Sleep Dentistry
Call Dr. Fincher and his team in Greenwood, MS, at (662) 453-1708 or contact us online to setup an appointment. We serve patients in, Columbus, Oxford, Greenville and all of Mississippi.
