Many people diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea prefer solutions that are comfortable and effective. At Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center in Omaha, NE, our focus is on custom oral appliance therapy—a proven, patient-friendly alternative to CPAP that works for patients with mild to severe sleep apnea.

Let’s explore what OSA means, why oral appliances are an ideal starting point, and how our team builds a personalized treatment plan for lasting results.

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition where the airway partially or fully collapses during sleep, interrupting oxygen flow. The severity is measured using the Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI), which counts breathing events per hour.

Symptoms of OSA may include snoring, daytime fatigue, or poor concentration. While often overlooked, even mild OSA still carries long-term risks and benefits from early treatment.

Oral Appliance Therapy: How It Works

Oral appliance therapy uses a custom-fit device worn during sleep to gently reposition your lower jaw forward. This keeps the airway open and helps prevent breathing interruptions.

At our practice, Dr. Melissa Sheets and Dr. Tracy Brigden digitally scan your bite and then craft an oral appliance tailored specifically to your needs. We guide every adjustment and follow-up to ensure effectiveness and comfort.

Benefits of Choosing Oral Appliances for Sleep Apnea

Treatment with oral appliances offers significant advantages for all OSA severity levels:

  • Greater comfort and easier adherence than bulky CPAP machines
  • Better portability, making travel seamless
  • Minimal side effects, such as dry mouth or excess saliva
  • Effective symptom reduction for many patients, backed by research

If you struggle with CPAP masks or are a frequent traveler, an oral appliance may offer a better fit for your lifestyle, especially for mild cases where comfort influences long-term use more than device power.

Who Makes a Good Candidate?

While oral appliances are ideal for many, some factors influence success:

Medical Conditions & AHI Level

Candidates usually have stable health and manageable weight. AHI levels range from 5-14 for mild sleep apnea, 15-29 for moderate cases, and ≥30 for severe cases.

Comfort Preferences & Compliance

If you struggle with CPAP masks or noise, an oral appliance may offer a better fit for your lifestyle.

Dental Health Requirements

Good oral health and sufficient teeth for the device to anchor securely are essential. We also evaluate gum health and bite alignment.

What to Expect from Our Treatment Process

At our Omaha sleep center, the process typically unfolds like this:

  1. Sleep Assessment: We either review your existing sleep study or coordinate a simple home test.
  2. Custom Impressions: Using digital scanning, we capture precise teeth placement and jaw alignment for your tailored appliance.
  3. Appliance Delivery & Adjustment: You’ll receive your oral device, and we’ll monitor and tweak it to find the ideal fit.
  4. Follow-up Appointments: We track your progress with sleep tests and regular evaluation.
  5. Outcome Review: We share outcomes with your medical providers and if symptoms or apnea persists, we work to explore adjustments or combined therapy.

When CPAP or Combination Therapy Is Needed

Oral appliances serve most sleep apnea cases well; however, patients with severe OSA or certain anatomies may require additional therapy:

  • Combination use: Some patients use oral appliances for comfort at night and rely on CPAP during specific situations. Some patients use both and oral appliance and CPAP together, which an make treatment more comfortable.
  • CPAP primary therapy: If your AHI exceeds 30 or you experience certain breathing events, our team will coordinate care with your physician to introduce CPAP or advanced treatment options.

Because we are experts in airway-focused dental sleep medicine, we can guide you safely through these decisions.

Lifestyle Tips to Support Treatment Success

To get the most out of your oral appliance therapy, we recommend:

  • Avoiding alcohol and sedatives before bedtime
  • Sleeping on your side or using a head-height elevation
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Following a consistent sleep schedule
  • Completing follow-up sleep assessments on schedule

These healthy habits support long-term success and overall wellness.

Why Choose the Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center?

When seeking sleep apnea treatment in Omaha, our practice offers unique advantages:

  • Decades of combined experience treating mild to severe cases of sleep apnea
  • We fit hundreds of sleep appliances each year
  • We are exclusively devoted to treating sleep apnea, as opposed to other offices that only offer sleep apnea treatment as one of a number of dental-related services
  • Dr. Sheets and Dr. Brigden hold board certifications in dental sleep medicine and have completed hundreds of hours of continuing education in sleep dentistry
  • Omaha’s only dental sleep practice focused exclusively on oral appliance therapy
  • Personalized care from screening to follow-up, in a comfortable, patient-first setting
  • In-depth consultation, home sleep testing, and appliance adjustments all under one roof

Schedule Your Oral Appliance Consultation in Omaha, NE

If you’d like a comfortable and effective path to treat mild to severe sleep apnea, we’re here to help. At Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center, we tailor your plan starting with oral appliance therapy, understand your needs, and honor your preferences.

Let’s begin this journey toward better sleep, better breathing, and better health. Call us today at (402) 493-4175.