FAQ

OSA is a chronic condition that occurs when your muscles relax during sleep, allowing soft tissue to collapse and block the airway. This can cause you to stop breathing hundreds of times per night for anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute. Repeated breathing pauses may result in reduced oxygen levels and disturbances in sleep.

OSA is more common in men, but it can occur in women too. Having excess body weight, a narrow airway, or misaligned jaw can increase the risk of OSA.

Some of the common signs you may have OSA are:

• Loud snoring
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Waking up during the night and gasping or choking
• Morning headaches
• Trouble focusing during the day
• Unusual moodiness or irritability
• Frequently waking up to urinate at night

After discussing your symptoms with a physician or NP, an Overnight Home Sleep Test is normally the easiest way to screen for OSA.

An oral appliance is a custom-fit, mouth-guard-like device worn only while you sleep. It keeps your airway open and unobstructed by supporting your jaw in a forward position to keep the upper airway from collapsing and blocking the airway.

Oral appliance therapy is an effective, non-invasive treatment that fits easily into your lifestyle.

Oral appliance therapy is an effective, non-invasive treatment that fits easily into your lifestyle.

• Covered by most insurances
• OAT is comfortable and easy to wear
• Portable and convenient for travel
• Does not restrict movements while sleeping
• Works with any patient sleeping positions
• Can be used for patients that are CPAP intolerant
• Quiet and does not require electricity
• Requires no consumable parts to replace.

Oral appliances are customized using digital models of your teeth. These models are sent to a dental lab where the oral appliances are made. Once the oral appliance is ready, you will return to your local Alterna Sleep office for a fitting. We will will adjust the appliance to maximize its comfort and effectiveness. Your dentist will then teach you how to clean and maintain the oral appliance.

Yes, in many cases dual therapy may be a great option for patients and help reduce the pressures needed from the CPAP to keep your airway open or after corrective surgery and still experiencing symptoms.

Oral appliance therapy is covered by Medicare. Most private insurance plans cover oral appliance therapy, Alterna Sleep will work with your insurance provider and review your plan details to insure coverage.

• Under Medicare, as well as the policies of most private insurers, the oral appliance must be custom-fabricated to be covered. Medicare and other insurers also have specific documentation requirements, so Alterna will work with your physician to ensure that you have everything you need to ensure coverage.

When billed through insurance, Oral Appliance therapy is half the cost of CPAP therapy over a 5 year period. There are no resupply items to order, cleaning devices needed or electricity cost to run the device.

In many cases you do not need to try CPAP first but this will depend on the severity of your OSA diagnosis. Alterna Sleep will work with your referring provider and insurance company to find the best therapy option for you.

Education in dental sleep medicine is required for dentists to provide safe, quality care to patients using oral appliance therapy for sleep-related breathing disorders. At minimum, dentists should meet the educational requirements defined by the AADSM to be a “Qualified Dentist” in dental sleep medicine.

Dentists should screen patients for OSA using questionnaires and evaluating the airway and then refer the patient to a physician for an evaluation. Since OSA is a medical condition, dentists should not diagnose sleep disorders. If oral appliance therapy is determined by the physician and patient to be the most appropriate treatment option, the physician will write a prescription for an oral appliance and refer the patient to a qualified dentist who will provide and monitor oral appliance therapy as part of a treatment team with the physician. The qualified dentist will monitor and treat potential side effects of oral appliance therapy and provide follow-up to ensure the optimal fit of the oral appliance. Patients should return to their physician to confirm the treatment efficacy of oral appliance.