How Effective Is Your Patient's Therapy Over The Whole Night's Sleep?

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) treatment efficacy? The key to effective treatment lies in its ability to prevent the occurrence of obstructive breathing events during sleep – when the treatment is being physically applied – paired with patient compliance. Thus, Effectiveness = Efficacy x Compliance.

Share:

Redefining Treatment in Mild to Moderate OSA

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), considered one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders, requires treatment to prevent undesirable health outcomes linked to untreated OSA. The most effective way to combat OSA is through a strict and rigorous treatment plan. In addition to the method of treatment, however, compliance with these treatments over an entire sleeping period must also be considered in order for them to yield maximum benefits.

A patient taking time off of treatment during their night’s sleep will reduce clinical effectiveness; thus, compliance to OSA treatment over the entire sleeping period must be considered. So, what do you do if a patient can’t or won’t tolerate CPAP? Enter Oral Appliance Therapy: an effective alternative to CPAP therapy for mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Effectiveness of CPAP vs. Oral Appliance Therapy

Most people diagnosed with OSA and other sleep apnea disorders are advised to use a CPAP machine for treatment. While CPAP machines hold enough pressure for the night’s entirety and are effective at helping to prevent breathing interruptions while patients sleep, they also have several drawbacks. For many people, the disadvantages of using the machines make them not worth the risk. Some patients even stop using the machine altogether because of their inconveniences or take time off from them during sleep. This can decrease CPAP treatment effectiveness considerably.

One of the major disadvantages of CPAP machines is their comfort level. Many patients find it difficult to fall asleep while using CPAP, especially in the beginning. Other people can experience a feeling of claustrophobia, which can increase anxiety. More drawbacks of CPAP machines include patient symptoms such as dry mouth, nosebleeds, skin irritation, and/or a feeling of being bloated with air. 

Snoring and sleep apnea can be caused by the airway at the back of the throat narrowing during sleep. Oral appliances, like our SomnoDent® Avant™, move the jaw and tongue forward while patients sleep to open up the airway and effectively treat sleep apnea, and is often more likely to be adhered to by patients. Compare the health outcome parameters between CPAP and Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) here: https://effectivenessequation.com/

Why Oral Appliance Therapy is Needed

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a serious medical condition that affects people of all ages. There is no denying that CPAP is an efficacious treatment for OSA – however, it’s not right for everyone. Comfortable, custom-made oral appliances like our SomnoDent® Avant™ are an effective treatment for mild and moderate OSA, and act as a comfortable alternative OSA treatment – or first line therapy – for patients who are non-compliant or won’t try CPAP.

If you or your patients suffer from mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea, an oral device like a SomnoMed sleep apnea oral appliance is designed to be an effective, more comfortable, and durable alternative to CPAP therapy.

Compared with wearing a CPAP mask, wearing a SomnoDent® Avant™ is comfort on a completely different scale. Patients will feel this from the moment they place it in their mouth, as it glides onto the teeth, gently cradling and supporting each tooth. This feeling of comfort and ease often serves to increase patient compliance, and thereby increases oral appliance treatment efficacy.

Sleep physicians everywhere: refer your OSA patients to sleep dentists in your area who can offer patients sleep apnea devices like our SomnoDent® Avant™ (or browse some of our other devices) as an effective treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Contact us and we’ll organize a time to demonstrate the Effectiveness Equation Model that is based on peer reviewed study data or your own patient data: https://somnomed.com/en/physicians/physicians-contact/

Connect with SomnoMed to find sleep dentists in your area and join our Medical Initiative of treating more OSA patients, more effectively here: https://somnomed.com/en/physicians/physicians-contact/

Sleep dentists, connect with SomnoMed for more information here: https://somnomed.com/en/dentists/dentists-contact/

Patients, find providers in your area here: https://somnomed.com/en/find-a-clinic/


Share this: