Sleep Apnea Dr. Stein creates custom-fitted, comfortable oral appliances that keep the airway open during sleep so you can breathe normally. Unfortunately a large percentage of men suffer from sleep apnea, a condition characterized by repeated disruption of breathing night after night. The continuous, loud, irritating snoring of suffers is more than just an aggravation to bystanders, it’s a serious health problem. Left untreated, serious medical complications can occur.

Is snoring at home a problem? Dr. Stein has helped many people reduce their snoring by utilizing a dental appliance that keeps the jaw forward. Specially trained in the diagnosis and the development of oral appliances for snoring and sleep apnea, Dr. Stein can provide you relief for a better, quieter night’s sleep.

Why People Snore Just about everyone has slept in the same room with someone who snores. What's going on behind that entire middle-of-the-night racket?

As people fall asleep, muscles in the tongue and throat relax, and the tongue drops back into the airway, narrowing it. Air moving through that narrowed airway travels faster and causes the walls of the throat to vibrate, producing a rattling noise commonly known as snoring.

Don't ignore these symptoms While snoring itself isn't a serious health problem, sleep apnea is. Sleep apnea is like snoring taken to the next level. It occurs when the airway is completely blocked by the soft tissues in the back of the throat. The American Dental Association likens the effect to what occurs when a thick milkshake is sucked through a narrow straw; eventually the straw collapses from the pressure.

When the airway is obstructed to such a degree, less oxygen reaches the blood and the brain. In response, the brain gives the "red alert" signal to the airway to unblock itself by tightening up. This causes the individual to gasp or snort abruptly, restoring breathing to normal.

With obstructive sleep apnea, this cycle repeats itself throughout the night, disrupting sleep and leaving the individual exhausted after a night of on-again, off-again sleep. The condition can also cause headaches, moodiness, daytime sleepiness and an inability to function properly.

The good news? There is help available for obstructive sleep apnea. Working with your physician, we can create a custom-fitted, comfortable oral appliance that keeps the airway open during sleep so you can breath normally.

You can also take steps to minimize your own snoring and incidences of apnea.

If you think you might have sleep apnea, see your physician immediately. Your physician and Dr. Stein can work together with you to find a comfortable, effective solution.