Do You Hate CPAP Machines?

Question: “My husband has sleep apnea and has a CPAP machine, is there anything else that could help as he really hates the machine but I really hate the snoring. What do you suggest?”
Answer from The Tooth Fairy, Dr. Molly Rodgers, General Dentist: Edmonton Dentist Treating Obstructive sleep apneaIt is very common for people to not love their CPAP machines, so your husband is not alone.The best thing about wearing a CPAP to treat Sleep Apnea is that it works 100% of the time. It is the only treatment available for Sleep Apnea that we know works 100%. But it doesn’t work at all if you don’t wear it.Multiple research articles have shown that CPAP compliance can be as low as 50% because of discomfort and inconvenience. Studies have indicated that as many as 25% to 54% of patients will discontinue their use of CPAP.Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) sufferers who do not wear their CPAP machines increase their risk of heart failure, high blood pressure and stroke and are drowsy during the day and fall asleep while driving. This in turn increases their risk of being in a serious motor vehicle accident by 3 to 4 times. OSA sufferers who stop wearing CPAP often snore, gasp and choke loudly disturbing their bed partners placing a strain on relationships and marriages.There are ways to improve CPAP comfort and, if a CPAP has been recommended, they should be attempted before switching to an oral appliance. But if you are still uncomfortable and cannot tolerate CPAP, oral appliances are an approved, effective alternative. Oral Appliances are placed in the mouth and are worn much like an orthodontic appliance or sports mouth protector. They are worn during sleep to prevent the collapse of the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the throat so that the airway stays open during sleep. The appliances promote adequate air intake and help to provide normal sleep in people who snore and have sleep apnea. Oral appliances can be used alone or in conjunction with other means of therapy such as continuous positive air pressure (CPAP). Determination of proper therapy can only be made by joint consultation of your sleep apnea dentist and sleep physician. The best thing for your husband is to keep up wearing his CPAP. If he does not love it, it is beneficial for him to go back to where he got the machine and have them help adjust it. This may take several visits. If this doesn’t help then we can take a look at making a dental appliance to help treat his Sleep Apnea. Every patient is different so always the first step for us is to meet the person and do a thorough exam to see if they are a candidate for a dental appliance to treat their Sleep Apnea.