Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea By Christopher Lillo

Introduction

A practicing dentist for more than 20 years, Dr. Christopher Lillo currently serves as a partner in the Oak Ridge Dental Group in Toms River, New Jersey. Dr. Christopher Lillo stands out as one of the few dentists in Monmouth and Ocean Counties to provide treatment for sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the tissue at the back of a patient's throat collapses and obstructs the airway, thus restricting breathing. Reduced oxygen delivery to the blood and brain often causes the patient to wake momentarily at multiple points during the night, which leads to excessive daytime drowsiness and consistent fatigue.

Sleep Apnea

A number of treatments are available for this condition, the most popular being oral appliances and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices.

Most commonly used for mild to moderate sleep apnea, oral appliances adjust the position of the tongue, soft palate, uvula, and lower jaw, thus maintaining an open airway. Patients may receive these devices from specially trained dental practitioners. For more severe cases of sleep apnea, a practitioner may recommend a CPAP device, which consists of a mask that fits over the nose or nose and mouth and connects to a machine that blows a continuous, gentle stream of air into the patient's airway.