During the day Janet was so tired she couldn’t function.  “I felt unmotivated, and had a lot of incomplete projects because I just never had enough energy to complete them,” she says.

Janet knew she had to do something about her sleeping problem.  She had a sleep test done, and the test results revealed she had Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

There are over 18 million persons in the United States alone who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and sadly, it is estimated that over 90% go undiagnosed.  People come to accept that this is normal for them: Never feeling rested, not being able to sleep through the night without waking several times, requiring a daily nap because they feel so tired that they just can’t get through the day without one.  Fatigue also causes irritability, lack of concentration and an inability to do the things that they would like to do. If you ask them, they’ll say they are fine. They just don’t know that they can feel any differently.  Untreated sleep apnea can also increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, headaches, weight gain, stroke, and drowsy driving.

After reviewing her test results, Janet’s physician prescribed a CPAP machine to treat her sleep apnea.

“I had a hard time wearing the CPAP, and every time I moved the CPAP would make a loud noise and wake my husband up,” says Janet.

After seeing a commercial about a mouth device for sleep apnea, Janet decided to make an appointment.  “It looked much more comfortable than the CPAP so I thought I would see if it would work for me,” she says.

“I noticed a difference the first night I slept with the oral appliance.  It was so much more comfortable sleeping with the oral appliance.  The next day I woke up feeling great!” she continues.  “My husband is so happy I have the oral appliance because now both of us are getting a restful night’s sleep,” she says.

Oral Appliance Therapy has proven to be a very viable and scientifically based treatment option for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a statement in the 2006 journal SLEEP that Oral Appliance Therapy was approved as the first line of treatment for those suffering from mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea and is proving to be effective for severe cases as well.  The purpose of the oral appliance is to hold the jaw in a position that allows the airway to remain as open and firm as possible during sleep. Oral appliances are similar to athletic mouth guards, but less bulky and completely non-invasive.  Oral appliances are covered by most medical insurances and Medicare.

“I love having the convenience when traveling,” says Janet.  “I’m from Kenya, and the village where my family lives doesn’t have electricity.  Now I can take my oral appliance with me and I don’t have to worry about a power outlet for a CPAP machine.  It’s great!” she continues.

For more information on oral appliance therapy contact Dr. Rod Willey at the Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine. As a general dentist, Dr. Willey has limited his practice on treatment for snoring, sleep apnea, and TMD with oral appliance therapy. To contact them call 309-243-8980 or email them at info@illinoissleepdoc.com.

Where:  Hult Health Education Center - 5215 N Knoxville Ave # A  Peoria, IL 61614

When: Tuesday, May 1st @ 6pm

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Doug’s physician recommended he have a sleep study done.  The results revealed that he had severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).  After being prescribed a CPAP, Doug tried to wear the CPAP but couldn’t wear it with the high air pressure that was necessary for his severe sleep apnea.

After being invited to a seminar that, Dr. Rod Willey, was holding on Oral Appliance Therapy for snoring and sleep apnea, Doug and his wife decided to attend.

“Dr. Willey explained that the oral appliance was approved by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as a first line of treatment for mild to moderate OSA and could be used as an alternative to CPAP for those with CPAP intolerance or in combination therapy with the CPAP,” says Doug.  For those patients with severe sleep apnea, like Doug, the most effective treatment may be a combination therapy using a minimally invasive CPAP at a lower more comfortable air pressure as well as the oral appliance.

“The appliance has worked very well for me!” says Doug.   “My wife gets more rest and I’m not falling asleep at work anymore.”  More importantly I’m not falling asleep behind the wheel and my blood pressure has come down,” he continues.

“My energy has definitely increased.  I have a big family and everyone has noticed the difference it’s made,” says Doug.  I keep hearing them say, ‘My goodness, Dad doesn’t snore anymore!’  ‘Dad’s not falling asleep when we’re watching a movie together!’ “

“I used to wake up multiple times during the night, and I knew it was because I wasn’t getting deep sleep.  I never got a deep sound sleep, and now I am!” he says.

“I know that my risk of having a heart attack or dying in my sleep because of my severe sleep apnea is now greatly reduced because I’m being treated.  I look forward to many more years of watching my kids and grandkids grow up,” says Doug.

For more information on Oral Appliance Therapy contact the Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine at 309-243-8980.  As a general dentist, Dr. Rod Willey has received a Diplomate from the Academy of Clinical Sleep Disorders Dentistry.  He provides treatment for snoring, sleep apnea and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) with oral appliance therapy.

As Seen on TV Snore Guards

Snore guards are made from a pliable plastic that you boil and bite into.  The benefit to these anti-snoring devices is that they are inexpensive to try and sometimes work.  Unfortunately there are a number of problems with these devices. When you boil and bite into the guard you only have one chance to find the correct position for your jaw. Bringing the jaw too far forward too quickly can cause jaw pain or worse a condition called temporomandibular joint disorder, which can result in facial pain, jaw popping, headaches, neck pain and more.  Most guards allow a few adjustments but may not be enough to prevent jaw problems. Made from inexpensive materials these guards often break down quickly and need to be replaced after only a few months.

Danger of Using Snore Guards – Masking a Bigger Problem

One of the biggest problems with using a snore guard is that you may be masking a much more serious condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).  Although snore guards are FDA cleared to treat snoring they are not approved to treat sleep apnea.  Snoring is one of the leading signs of this condition.  Over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and 90% go undiagnosed.   If you haven’t had a sleep study done, you don’t know if you have sleep apnea or how severe it is.  You may have a false sense of security that you are being treated when you may still be living with a serious medical condition.

Snoring causes a partial blockage of the airway during sleep.  An apnea occurs when there is a complete blockage of the airway.   Apnea literally means “cessation of breath.” If you have sleep apnea, your breath can become very shallow or you may even stop breathing while you are asleep. This state of not breathing can occur up to hundreds of times a night in some people causing serious health problems such as chronic fatigue, headaches, depression, high blood pressure, and even stroke or heart attack.  At worst, untreated sleep apnea may result in death.

Oral Appliance Therapy Done by a Dentist

Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) has proven to be a very viable and scientifically based treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a statement in the 2006 issue of SLEEP that Oral Appliance Therapy was approved as a first line of treatment for those suffering from mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and OAT is proving to be effective in severe cases for patients with CPAP intolerance.

Only a dentist familiar with the temporomandibular joint, dental occlusion, and trained in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy is qualified to fit an oral appliance.  The dentist will do a thorough health history and sleep apnea screening.  If the patient shows the markers for OSA, the patient will need to obtain a sleep study.  Depending on the patient’s health history, the dentist will either offer an at-home sleep test (HST) or an overnight-attended test called polysomnography (PSG).  These tests are read by a board certified Sleep Physician who will determine a diagnosis. It is important to know if the patient is considered mild, moderate or severe in order to be able to recommend the proper treatment therapy.

If the patient is then a candidate for OAT, the Dentist will take a custom impression and bite in order to have an FDA approved lab fabricate the oral appliance.  The oral appliance is made from a durable acrylic material.  The appliances finely adjust to minimize any jaw pain and to ensure that maximum effectiveness is reached.  Oral appliance therapy is covered by most medical insurances and Medicare.  Most medical insurances will replace the appliance within 2 years or when it becomes medically necessary

For more information on oral appliance therapy contact Dr. Rod Willey at the Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine. As a general dentist, Dr. Willey has focused his practice on treatment for snoring, sleep apnea, and TMD with oral appliance therapy. To contact them call 309-243-8980 for Dunlap or 309-319-6568 or email them at info@illinoissleepdoc.com.

Location: Holiday Inn at Bloomington Airport – 3202 E Empire St  Bloomington, IL 61704

Date: Monday, April 9th at 6pm

Click here to Register

Location: Washington Five Points

Date: Tuesday, March 20th @ 6pm

Click here to Register

Conquer Snoring Sleep Apnea & Fatigue

with a comfortable oral appliance

Join us for a Free Seminar & Screening

Seminar Info:
Hult Health
Center Peoria
Thu. Jan. 12th @ 6pm

Presenter
Rod Willey DDS, D’ACSDD
Illinois Institute of
Dental Sleep Medicine

Discussion Topics

• Do Oral Appliances STOP Snoring?
• Can Headaches be related to Sleep Apnea?
• Health Risks of Sleep Apnea
• Are you a candidate for oral appliance therapy?
• Medical Insurance & Medicare Coverage for Oral Appliances

Register for the Seminar Click Here

“I guess I learned to adapt to the constant fatigue,” says Sam.  “Every Wednesday we would have a meeting, and I would doze off in the middle of the meeting,” he continued.  “Somehow I would still answer the questions my manager asked, but had no recollection of doing so.”

Sam’s snoring got so bad, his wife had to sleep in another room.  “Our pet parrot would even mimic the sound of my snoring, but on a much louder note,” says Sam.

“When Sam would struggle to breathe at night, it really worried me,” his wife says.  “He would even doze off while driving, which really scared me.”

With the advice of his physician, Sam decided to have an overnight sleep test.  The results confirmed that he had severe sleep apnea and stopped breathing over 60 times an hour.

Sam’s physician suggested that he try Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) to treat his sleep apnea.

“I always felt tense when sleeping with the CPAP machine, and could never relax,” says Sam.  “The pressure of the CPAP made it hard to breath. I never felt like it was that sanitary either when I would get sick.

“When I complained to my wife about the CPAP, she thought I wasn’t giving it a chance, so I said she should try it on,” he says.  “She put it on, but only lasted 15 seconds or so, and admitted that it was pretty difficult to wear.”

After 3 months of battling with the CPAP, Sam knew he needed something else.  “Because I had a deviated septum, my physician said I could try a surgery to remove the uvula in the back of my throat and move my soft palate forward.   The surgery sounded awful, and I decided against it,” says Sam.

“My blood pressure was out of control, even with continual increases in my medication,” says Sam.  Sam’s physician referred him to a cardiologist who recommended he see Dr. Rod Willey, of the Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine for a dental sleep appliance since he couldn’t wear the CPAP.

“Within the first month of using the dental appliance I noticed a huge difference in my energy levels and quality of life!” he says.  “My wife is so happy because I don’t fall asleep immediately after dinner,” he continues.  “We can actually enjoy spending some time together.”

“I know both of my brothers have sleep apnea, as well as some of my kids,” says Sam.  “It really concerns me, because I know just how serious sleep apnea can be.  Both of my parents died from heart problems at an early age, and I suspect they had sleep apnea too,” he continues.  “I have told my family about the great results I have received from the appliance, and hope they can experience the same!

Oral Appliance therapy is covered by most medical insurances and Medicare.  For more information on oral appliance therapy contact Dr. Rod Willey at the Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine. As a general dentist, with a Diplomate from the Academy of Clinical Sleep Disorders Disciplines, Dr. Willey has limited his practice to the treatment of snoring, sleep apnea, and TMJ Disorders with oral appliance therapy. To contact them call 309-228-4038 or email them at info@illinoissleepdoc.com.

Q: When did you discover you had a sleep problem?

Don: Thirty-five years ago I recognized that I had a sleep problem. I didn’t realize the seriousness of the condition until much later though.  I was tired all the time but had to push through because of work.

Q: What symptoms were you experiencing from Sleep Apnea?

Don:  I snored a lot and it kept my wife up at night.  We’ve been married for 48 years and she had to put up with my snoring for most of that time.  I would wake up tired after a full night’s sleep and wonder why I could never feel rested.

Q: What treatments did you try for Sleep Apnea?

Don: After discovering I had Sleep Apnea, my physician suggested I try a surgery to fix the problem.  In 1993 I had surgery to remove tissue from my tongue and throat to help the sleep apnea.  It was an extremely difficult and painful surgery and it only worked for 1-2 years at most.  My doctor then suggested I try the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), which did work, but was an incredible inconvenience.  I didn’t like wearing the CPAP and never could keep the mask on at night.  I tried a number of different masks and none of them seemed to work and they were costing a lot of money.  The noise of the CPAP machine was keeping my wife up at night too.

The CPAP was also a real hassle when it came to traveling.  My job required me to travel overseas a lot, and when I would take my CPAP with me I would always get stopped by security. I knew there had to be something better for me.

Q: Why did you choose oral appliance therapy?

Don:  I had read an article in a magazine on a dental device that treated snoring and sleep apnea and thought, “What do I have to lose?”  It was my last ditch chance at decent sleep!  My bride needed relief just as much as I did.

Q: What difference has oral appliance therapy made in your life?

Don:  The first night I used the appliance I never dreamed that I would sleep so well! I slept the first night without snoring, gasping in the night for air, or smacks on the head from my wife trying to stop my snoring.  It was absolutely marvelous!

The dental device has made a huge difference in my life.  I have better health, more resilience, energy, and I think I play better golf too

My bride and I have been married for over 48 years.  She put up with my apnea for most of that time.  Our relationship is much better now that I no longer wear a CPAP at night or suffer from sleep apnea.  The oral appliance is just fantastic!

For more information on oral appliance therapy contact Dr. Rod Willey at the Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine. As a general dentist, Dr. Willey focuses his practice on treatment for snoring, sleep apnea, and TMD with oral appliance therapy. To contact them call 309-228-4038 or email them at info@illinoissleepdoc.com.