Sleep Apnea
If you snore excessively or wake up still feeling tired after a full night of rest, you may suffer from sleep apnea.
A sleep apnea diagnosis doesn't mean you have to live with your symptoms. There are a number of treatment options that can help you enjoy better sleep and a better quality of life.
At Dental Group South, Inc., Dr. Vernon Greene specializes in dental sleep medicine. The journey to better sleep may be easier than you think—it all starts with a consultation at our Stockbridge, GA, dental office.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that affects your sleep cycle and your normal breathing routine. It causes you to literally stop breathing for 10 to 90 seconds at a time. This occurs many times during your sleep.
When you stop breathing, your oxygen levels drop and your heart rate goes up. This can happen hundreds of times per night and puts unhealthy stress on the heart. It has been medically documented that this leads to high blood pressure and several other health problems.
There are two forms of sleep apnea:
Central Sleep Apnea
Central sleep apnea is very rare. With central sleep apnea, breathing ceases during the night because the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles. Central sleep apnea is a complex neurological disorder that only highly specialized sleep doctors are qualified to treat.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is far more common. Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is interrupted during the night because the soft tissues of the mouth and throat block the upper airway. Our dentist can treat obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliances.
Why Treat Sleep Apnea?
Improve Your Energy
A good night's sleep is essential to having enough energy to get through the day. When you work with our Stockbridge practice and receive a custom-made oral appliance, you'll be able to sleep soundly through the night. Many of our Atlanta-area patients are amazed at how much more alert they feel and how much their moods improve once they address obstructive sleep apnea.
Protect Your Health
Sleep apnea is associated with numerous health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. By opening your airway during the night, you can reduce your risk of developing these conditions.
Relieve Your Partner
Obstructive sleep apnea doesn't only affect you. If you share your bed with a partner, or even if you just have other family members in your house, the extreme snoring caused by obstructive sleep apnea can keep them up at night as well. The oral appliances designed by Dr. Greene at our practice in Stockbridge, GA, effectively reduce snoring, so everyone in your home will enjoy more peaceful nights.
Sleep Through the Night
with a Custom-Made Oral Appliance
At our dental practice in Stockbridge, GA, we help patients from all over greater Atlanta overcome sleep apnea through oral appliance therapy (OAT).
Dr. Greene has undergone years of advanced training in sleep medicine. He can fit you with a custom-designed nightguard that will open up your upper airway during the night so you can snore less and sleep soundly.
If you are interested in oral appliance therapy, take the first step by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Greene. Once you experience the life-changing benefits of sleep apnea treatment, you'll be glad you contacted us online or emailed us at sleep@sleepgroupsouth.net to ask questions.
Call Us: (470) 705-0788
"Thank You, Dental Group South."
"Super blessed to have the help from Dr Vernon W. Greene and amazing staff to get my sleep issues fixed. I have been wearing my dental appliance for 2 months and I feel so well rested, also no more snoring!!!!! I would highly suggest visiting if you ever plan to talk to someone about sleep issues and fixing them, you won't regret it!!!! Thank you Dental Group South ❤️" Ashley Marie Caban, 5-Star Google Review
Treatment Options for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Lifestyle Changes
Healthy changes to your routine can make a big difference in your sleep apnea symptoms. Losing excess weight, reducing your alcohol consumption, and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule have all been shown to help. Dr. Greene can talk to you about which changes may be most helpful in your specific case during a consultation at our Stockbridge office.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliance therapy is the preferred treatment method at our practice in Stockbridge, GA. Dr. Greene can design an oral appliance that repositions your lower jaw, tongue, soft palate, and uvula to keep the airway open during sleep. This therapy is non-invasive and can be highly effective for both sleep apnea and snoring. Also, the oral appliances we craft are very comfortable. After a few weeks, wearing the appliance at night will feel like second nature.
CPAP
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is provided by a bedside machine that delivers pressurized air through a tube that connects to a mask covering the nose. CPAP is a well-known treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, and it does keep the upper airway open effectively. However, CPAP machines can be cumbersome, loud, and uncomfortable. Many patients from the Atlanta area contact Dr. Greene because they are seeking an alternative to CPAP.
Surgery
Patients with severe sleep apnea may require surgery to remove excess tissues. This is a last resort option that we would only recommend when all other therapies have failed.
An Oral Appliance Testimonial "A Thousandfold Improvement Over CPAP"
Lawyer Quinn is a longtime patient of ours who hated using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to treat his sleep apnea. When Dr. Greene introduced him to oral appliance therapy as an alternative to CPAP, he was elated. Thanks to his oral appliance, he now snores less and has much more energy during the day.
Oral Appliances in Action
Oral appliances fit over your teeth and reposition your lower jaw, tongue, soft palate, and uvula, removing the obstructions in your upper airway.
Types of Oral Appliances Offered at Our Stockbridge, GA, Practice
Dr. Greene chooses to prescribe oral appliances from the ProSomnus® line because of their comfort and customizability.
- The ProSomnus [EVO] Sleep and Snore Device conforms to your smile and has a much slimmer profile than many sleep apnea appliances, making it easier to integrate into your nighttime routine.
- The ProSomnus® [PH] Precision Herbst-style Sleep Apnea Device has dual-arm movement for precise, quickly customizable treatment. It is FDA-approved and covered by Medicare.
According to the manufacturer, 96% of surveyed patients said they prefer ProSomnus oral appliances to CPAP machines for the management of sleep apnea. Dr. Greene and our Stockbridge team are excited to help you discover the benefits of this treatment option. We welcome patients from throughout Greater Atlanta.
Sleep Apnea Is a Common Condition
Better Sleep Is One Call Away Contact Us for a Consultation
If you struggle to sleep through the night, or you are tired of using an annoying CPAP machine, schedule an appointment at Sleep Group South in Stockbridge, GA.
During a consultation, Dr. Greene can ask about your symptoms and arrange for an at-home sleep study. If the sleep study reveals you have obstructive sleep apnea, we can provide a custom-made oral appliance that can radically improve your quality of life.
There's no reason to wait. Request a consultation by filling out our online form, emailing us at sleep@sleepgroupsouth.net, or calling our office today.
Call Us: (470) 705-0788
Kind Words From Stockbridge Hear a Sleep Apnea Patient's Story
"Tremendously Outstanding. I suffer from sleep apnea and have a lot of underlying health conditions. I was wearing the CPAP machine at night, and it simply didn't work out. Dr. Greene did a consultation with me on my first visit, did X-rays and explained to me everything and what to expect. In less than a month, my Appliance was made, and i am feeling amazing. My husband says that he has to check on me to see if I'm still in bed or even still alive cause he doesn't hear me snoring anymore. Dr. Greene and his wonderful staff has really changed my sleep apnea for the best and I am very happy and satisfied with his help. He is very caring of his patients and he will really do whatever is necessary to get you to where you need to be." Lisa T., 5-Star Google Review
Insurance Coverage For Sleep Apnea Treatment
Most insurance plans will help cover the cost of sleep apnea treatment, whether in the form of CPAP or an oral appliance.
At Dental Group South, Inc. in Stockbridge, GA, we work with most insurance plans, including Tricare and Medicare, to reduce your out-of-pocket costs.
Dr. Greene also accepts CareCredit® financing to make any out-of-pocket costs more affordable. We want you to be able to receive the top-quality medical care you deserve regardless of your budget.
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea with At-Home Sleep Studies
Before Dr. Greene can recommend oral appliance therapy or any other kind of sleep apnea treatment, we must first identify the nature of your sleep disorder.
When you visit our office for a consultation, we will begin by asking you to fill out an assessment form that will determine if you should be further evaluated with an at-home sleep study.
Home sleep tests are becoming the standard method of testing for Medicare and most PPO medical insurance companies. We will partner with your primary care doctor to get coverage details and other required documentation. The out-of-pocket costs for an at-home sleep test are generally lower than the costs of going to a sleep center.
How do at-home sleep studies work? They're simple. All you have to do is wear a device during the night that will monitor your heart rate and breathing patterns while you sleep. The device collects data that Dr. Greene and your primary care doctor can use to determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, or some other sleep disorder.
Are You Ready To Try Your Own Oral Appliance?
Contact Our Stockbridge Practice
Dr. Greene is a specialist in sleep medicine who has spent the past 40 years helping Stockbridge-area patients secure a better quality of life through personalized oral appliance therapy. As a privately owned dental practice, we are not beholden to large group corporations or insurance companies—our patients are the only consideration. We'll take the time we need to plan and provide the ideal treatment for you. Set up a one-on-one consultation by sending a message to sleep@sleepgroupsouth.net or calling our Stockbridge, GA, office:
(470) 705-0788
Patients with Sleep Issues
Recommend Dr. Greene
"Dr. Greene is my dentist. He noticed I had a tendency toward Sleep Apnea and recommended I get tested for it. I did not want to because I did not think I had it. Sure enough I did. I knew I did not want to wear a mask at night but he offered another solution, which was a Dental Appliance. I have been using it for close to 3 weeks and I am sleeping much sounder and my wife says I have quit snoring. I highly recommend you look at this option for Sleep Apnea if you are like me and do not want to wear a mask all night." James O., 5-Star Google Review
Sleep Apnea FAQs
Who is at risk for sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea can affect anyone, but certain populations are at higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. Overweight people, older people, smokers, and men are more prone to developing obstructive sleep apnea.
Which health conditions are associated with sleep apnea?
According to Healthline, adults with sleep apnea are more likely to have heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, atrial fibrillation, cancer, chronic kidney disease, eye disorders, metabolic disorders, and more.
Can you die from sleep apnea?
Experts say that over time, untreated sleep apnea can result in health conditions that can eventually be fatal. Aforementioned conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease are serious health issues that can have an adverse effect on your life expectancy. The bottom line is that if you are experiencing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, or if a partner tells you that you snore, you have everything to gain by requesting an appointment with Dr. Greene.Will treating sleep apnea reduce my snoring?
Absolutely. Obstructive sleep apnea causes snoring because the soft tissues of the throat vibrate when they block the airway. By opening up the airway with an oral appliance, you can greatly reduce your snoring.
