Sleep Apnea Treatment in Arlington, TX

Are You…

• Snoring most nights loudly?
• Hearing that you gasp, choke, or stop breathing in your sleep?
• Tired during the day, no matter how long you sleep?
• Waking up with headaches or dry mouth?
• Dealing with brain fog or trouble concentrating?
• Moody or short-tempered for no clear reason?
• Clenching or grinding your teeth at night?

You Might Be Experiencing Sleep Apnea

The good news is that help may be closer than you think. Dr. Stephanie Bangs is a sleep apnea dentist right here in Arlington. She treats sleep apnea with custom oral appliances and airway care, so you don’t need a mask strapped to your face.

For many adults, that means real rest without sleeping hooked up to a CPAP machine. If you’ve tried CPAP and couldn’t stick with it, you’re not alone. It’s worth a visit to talk through your options.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea causes repeated pauses in your breathing while you sleep. Each pause can last at least 10 seconds to even 60 seconds, and then they can happen again and again through the night. Your body reacts to every one of them, and over time that takes a real toll on your health.

There are two main types. Dr. Bangs treats obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common type. With OSA, the airway at the back of your throat narrows or closes while you sleep.

How Dr. Bangs Identifies the Cause

Dr. Bangs doesn’t stop at the symptoms. She looks for the structural reason your airway is getting blocked. The most common ones are:

1. Maxillary hypoplasia: your upper jaw didn’t grow wide enough to leave room for your tongue, so the tongue blocks your airway when you sleep.
2. Mandibular retrognathia: your lower jaw sits too far back, which closes off your airway.
3. Tongue position: your tongue may be tied, or it may rest in a spot that blocks your airway.
4. Often, more than one of these at once.

How Does a Tongue or Lip Tie Cause Sleep Apnea?

A small band of tissue could be part of the reason you’re sleeping badly. Dr. Bangs checks for a tight band under the tongue (a tongue-tie), behind the lip (a lip tie) or inside the cheeks (a cheek tie) that limits how your mouth moves. A tie can affect your breathing in a few ways:

• Blocking your airway: a tied tongue can’t rest on the roof of your mouth, so it falls back into your throat during sleep.
• Shaping your jaw: a tongue that couldn’t move well in childhood can leave you with a narrow palate and jaw, and a smaller airway.
• Changing how you breathe: a low tongue makes mouth breathing more likely, and that adds to sleep apnea.

If Dr. Bangs finds a tie that’s getting in the way she may perform the procedure at our office or she may refer you to a specialist who performs the release, called a frenectomy.

Before and after the release, you’ll work with Dr. Bangs on myofunctional therapy here in our office, so your tongue learns its new resting spot. Read more about tongue-tie evaluation.

The Effects Of Sleep Apnea on Your Health

Many people with sleep apnea have no idea they have it. Children can have sleep apnea too, and it can be even harder on them because they’re still growing. Untreated sleep apnea can bring:

• Lower oxygen levels in your brain
• Excessive sleepiness
• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Slower reflexes, and trouble learning or remembering things
• A drop in how you do at work or school

When oxygen levels drop very low, sleep apnea is also linked to an irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure. That raises your risk of diabetes and stroke.

How We Can Help

Your Initial Consultation

At your sleep apnea consultation, Dr. Bangs will personally walk you through:

• A conversation about your sleep, snoring, energy, and health history
• A gentle exam of your head and neck, tongue, palate, bite, and teeth
• A low-radiation CBCT scan, plus intraoral photos and measurements
• A review of any sleep study you’ve already had or suggest a sleep study from our office

Your Treatment Options

Your plan depends on what’s causing your sleep apnea and how severe it is. These are the toptions Dr. Bangs uses most.

Lifestyle Changes

This is a great first step, or for some people, it’s enough to reduce sleep apnea a lot. It can mean losing weight, eating a healthier diet, and skipping alcohol and other relaxants before bed. Dr. Bangs usually suggests starting here before other treatment.

Orthodontics

A narrow jaw can leave too little room for your tongue. Orthodontic treatment can help. Clear aligner trays can gradually widen your arches, which makes more room and improves airflow.

Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD)

Our MAD of Choice: Psosomnus

A mandibular advancement device is a custom dental appliance for sleep apnea that you wear while you sleep. It moves your lower jaw slightly forward, which keeps your tongue from falling back and opens your airway. Dr. Bangs usually recommends one when your airway is narrow, but your jaw is the right size. Some patients do best with orthodontics to widen the jaw, plus a MAD to open the airway further.

Our MAD of Choice, Prosomnus. Here’s what patients like about it:

• No surgery and no medication
• It’s made for your mouth only
• A compact design that’s comfortable to sleep in

Tongue Evaluation And Treatment

Dr. Bangs checks your tongue’s position and movement to see whether it’s adding to the blockage, and she looks for a tongue, lip, or cheek tie. Treatment often starts with myofunctional therapy, the exerises she provides here in our office to imporve tongue posture. If a tie needs to be released, we will recommend a release and continue your therapy with Dr. Bangs afterward.

Laser Treatment

For snoring without a blockage that stops your breathing, we also offer a minimally invasive laser treatment that tightens tissue at the back of your throat. Ask us whether it’s a good fit for you.

Ready To Take Back Your Sleep?

Start by scheduling a visit with Dr. Bangs. New patients get a complimentary airway evaluation with our comprehensive exam. Call our Arlington office at (817) 275-4355 or schedule online, and you’ll be on your way to the deep, restful sleep you’ve been missing. To see how sleep fits into the bigger picture, visit our airway dentistry page.

Frequently Asked Questions