ORAL APPLIANCE THERAPY FOR SNORING, SLEEP APNEA & CPAP PROBLEMS
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office newsAugust, 2008 Most insurance companies will cover a large percentage of the cost of oral appliance therapy if the therapy is performed by a properly trained and qualified dentist.
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the airway completely collapses during
sleep and airflow
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stops
entirely. Since no air can be drawn into the lungs, the oxygen level
in the blood drops which eventually signals the brain to partially awaken
in order to stimulate the throat muscles to open and clear the obstruction. This
usually happens with a loud gasp or choking sensation. Once the airway
is open, breathing and sleep can resume. However, the relaxing 
influence
of sleep affects the throat muscles as before and this process starts again
and continues over and over all night. People with OSA experience disrupted
sleep and periodic drops in oxygen levels each night. This is associated
with cardiovascular disease and excessive daytime sleepiness. The
condition known as upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) lies midway between
snoring and true OSA. People who suffer from UARS suffer many of the
symptoms of OSA but do not really have OSA. 
