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Overview

Why Federici Dental For Treatment of OSA?

Federici Dental is the most experienced in the area at treating obstructive sleep apnea. Dr Dave has achieved Diplomate status from the ABDSM (American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine) of which there are only 425 of in the country. Reaching this status in dental sleep medicine with an elite board certification that sleep physicians know and respect is crucial. ABDSM Diplomate status is the gold standard in dental sleep medicine demonstrating that a dentist has the technical skill, in-depth knowledge and professional judgment to provide optimal oral appliance therapy care. Along with giving seminars on the sleep apnea, Dr. Dave also teaches other dentists around the country on how to incorporate the treatment of OSA in their practices. He is on the board of the NJ Sleep Society and is in the process of establishing programs at several nursing schools on OSA. At Federici Dental, we have experience with over 10 appliances that are custom made from a digital scan of your teeth/mouth. Each mouth needs expertise and experience in determining which one is the correct one for you. The wrong appliance can actually make your OSA worse. How and what you do with an appliance as far as advancing the jaw to create proper airflow while you sleep is also based on expertise. As does knowing when the ideal position and therapy completion has been achieved. You cannot trust your health and possibly your life to just any dentist or dental office. Dentists who have not achieved specific statuses in dental sleep medicine as set for by the AADSM (American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine) are not permitted to make appliances for your snoring/sleep apnea.

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How sleep apnea is diagnosed, and the current treatments being used

Sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway is intermittently blocked during sleep, reducing or completely stopping airflow. One of the core goals of our website is to provide you with all the information you need about sleep apnea, so you can be proactive about recognizing the signs, and checking out the Federici Dental Home Sleep Questionnaire before you visit our office for an appointment.

You’ll find brief overviews about the types of sleep apnea, how we diagnose sleep apnea and treatment below.

Types of Sleep Apnea 

There are three primary types of sleep apnea that can be caused by a person's physical and anatomical airway structures, or medical/ health conditions. 

1. Central Sleep Apnea

One type of sleep apnea is called central sleep apnea (CSA) and it happens when you stop breathing because the muscles involved in the act of breathing don’t receive the proper signal from the brain. Causes of CSA can be brain stem injuries/concussions, congestive heart failure, Opioid usage, and CNS diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

2. Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The most common form of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and occurs due to physical airway blockage, usually the collapsing of the soft tissue in the back of the throat. Loud snorers may have a serious case of blocked air passages, known as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). In these cases, the blockage of air is so great that no air can get through, causing repeated awakenings throughout the night.

3. Mixed Sleep Apnea 

Mixed/complex sleep apnea is a combination of CSA and OSA. For even more information, visit our Types of Sleep Apnea page.

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

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Obstructive sleep apnea can contribute or lead to many other conditions, such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, A-fib, diabetes, and depression, so it is important to be diagnosed by a medical professional if you experience any sleep-related symptoms. The Federici Dental team has unmatched experience in assisting with diagnosing sleep disorders and sleep apnea. While each individual case is different, the first step in diagnosing sleep apnea is with a sleep study.

Our office works with all primary care doctors and all specialists who have the ability to write an Rx for a sleep study. We also work closely with Meridien-Hackensack and their sleep center for both take-home sleep studies and in-lab overnight studies called a PSG (Polysomnogram) if they are deemed necessary.

Once the study is completed we will work with the Dr in helping with the 3 treatment options. Be aware that this is a medical condition and the Dr writing the Rx for the sleep study has the lead in dictating your treatment. If it is diagnosed that you have severe OSA, a CPAP machine is the gold standard for that level and you would be started on that therapy. Only if there is an issue with compliance or inability to be able to properly and consistently use it would oral appliance therapy (OAT) be initiated. OAT is a first line therapy option for mild to moderate OSA. 

Insurance Coverage For Sleep Apnea

Because OSA is a medical condition diagnosed by a medical doctor, any treatment for it including oral appliance therapy is covered by your medical insurance. We have a medical biller who does all benefit checks, pre-authorizations and filing of your claims. We have mastered the insurance protocols for coverage for oral appliances and we are also DME (durable medical equipment) approved with Medicare to treat all of our seniors with OSA.

Treatment For Sleep Apnea

Treatments for sleep apnea vary widely depending on the severity and type of sleep apnea a person suffers from. Suggested treatments can include:

  1. CPAP
  2. Oral Appliance Therapy
  3. Inspire

Additional steps to reduce your risks and its effect are: 

  • Losing Weight
  • Quitting smoking / drinking
  • Eating healthy and controlling blood pressure
  • Sleeping on your side
  • Oral devices
  • Surgery in extreme cases

For more information about all of our treatment options for sleep apnea, visit our Sleep Apnea Treatment page.

Contact Federici Dental Today!

Don’t wait to start getting a great night’s sleep. Contact our Manahawkin office today at (609) 597-1234 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Dave, and discover the benefits of having local, personalized sleep apnea care. We also encourage you to browse through our website, as it has a lot of information to help you learn more about sleep apnea. We look forward to hearing from you soon!