Getting the Treatment You Deserve
See Dr. Sheila Birth About Sleep Apnea
If you think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, contact Dr. Sheila Birth right away and she’ll make sure you receive the necessary diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Our office features convenient and effective sleep apnea treatments that are custom-made and lab approved by the FDA.
Dr. Birth’s years of experience, dedication to providing the utmost in care, and her use of the latest technology to treat patients with both heavy snoring and sleep apnea, truly set her apart.
Getting the Right Diagnosis
Dr. Birth provides care designed to promote the overall health and wellness of our patients. To begin the treatment process, Dr. Birth will conduct a thorough examination and ask basic questions about your lifestyle and the type of sleep you’ve been getting.
Afterward, she’ll proceed to the screening process using the Epworth questionnaire, a home sleep test that is often covered by insurance. Once you’ve been screened, Dr. Birth will use a scanner to take impressions of your teeth and, if the patient suffers from heavy snoring, will use her signature 3D X-ray machine to measure the patient’s airways.
Her in-depth screening process and advanced technology are able to determine how men and women differ in their sleeping patterns, and what type of symptoms are contributing to their sleep apnea. Dr. Birth will provide oversight, follow-up examinations, and long-term care for your sleep apnea.
Your Treatment Options
Once Dr. Birth has determined the best course of care for your sleep apnea, you can begin treatment. Treatment options at Dr. Birth’s office include the following Oral Appliances:
- Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs): This custom-made device is worn in the mouth and is used to treat obstructive sleep apnea by helping move the jaw forward. In fact, a mandible is a jawbone and advancement that means “the act of moving forward.” The MAD is molded to your teeth in order to provide a substantive platform through which the upper jaw acts as a fixed frame and the lower jaw is pushed forward. This increases the balance between the back of the tongue and the soft tissue in the throat, until the snoring stops.
- Alternative Sleep Appliances:
- HERBST Appliance – A dental mechanism often used on children to help their lower jaws develop in a forward direction. HERBST appliances correct the overbites of young children before their mouths fully develop.
- EMA Appliance – A simple, patient-friendly appliance created for the non-invasive treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. The design is brilliantly simple, extremely stable, and allows for adjustability through the interchangeable elastic straps. The EMA is formed from a dental impression and resembles and fits like a retainer. The flexibility of the elastic straps provides unsurpassed lateral movement and overall TMJ comfort.
