Sleep Apnea Doctor Louisville, KY - Sleep Apnea Therapy - Treating Adults & Children
Sleep apnea is a life-threatening disorder that occurs when the soft tissue of the throat collapses during sleep. Not only is the closure of the airway itself dangerous, but the body’s response of waking you back up (and thereby interrupting your sleep schedule) can cause dangerous amounts of sleep deprivation. At Stony Brook Dental Care, Dr. Michael Barnett provides a comprehensive solution to sleep apnea using dental appliances that help patients finally achieve a full night's rest. In fact, Dr. Barnett is one of the few dentists certified to treat sleep apnea in the Louisville area.
As the leading sleep apnea specialist in Louisville, Dr. Barnett can help you determine if you have sleep apnea and what treatments work best for you; we even have an entire center dedicated to diagnosing and treating adults & children with this sleep disorder. Stony Brook Dental Care can take referrals for sleep apnea cases from Louisville’s many neighborhoods, including Jeffersontown, Hurstbourne and Douglas Hills.
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
The first step in treating sleep apnea case is to diagnose the condition and determine the severity of your unique case of sleep apnea.
At our dedicated sleep apnea center, Dr. Barnett uses 3D imaging to take a 360-degree picture of your head. With this comprehensive diagnostic tool, our Jeffersontown dentist can see where the obstruction is occurring. We also offer take-home sleep studies which can help us determine the severity of your apnea event. From here, Stony Brook Dental Care can work with you to determine the best treatment method for your overnight breathing condition.
Treating Sleep Apnea in Louisville
Once your case has been diagnosed, Dr. Barnett is able to begin creating a personalized sleep apnea treatment plan.
Our most common and preferred treatment is the orthopedic dental device. This device is a simple, mouth guard-like structure worn overnight. While worn, this oral appliance repositions your lower jaw forward, widening the airway to allow proper breathing at night. For mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea, the widening enabled by the dental device is able to prevent restriction of the airway from the collapse of soft tissue.
For severe cases of sleep apnea, Stony Brook Dental Care can also have you outfitted for a sleep mask and a continuous positive airway pressure machine. By gently pushing pressurized air into the nose to prevent tissue collapse, CPAP machines make inhalation much easier overnight. While there are complaints about the uncomfortable nature of CPAP machines and masks, Dr. Barnett can help you choose a style of mask that fits comfortably as you sleep. If the orthopedic dental device is not the solution for you, the CPAP machine can non-surgically assist you in breathing at night.
Contact Us Today
At Stony Brook Dental Care, we recognize the health value of a healthful night’s rest. As one of the few sleep apnea experts in the Louisville region, our Jeffersontown dentist is dedicated to helping you regain a good night’s sleep. For more information about diagnosing and treating adult & pediatric sleep apnea in Louisville, contact Dr. Michael Barnett today!