Services

Sleep Apnea

A convenient, comfortable, clinically approved treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.

Have you been told you snore loudly? Do you feel sleepy and tired during the day? You may be one of the millions of Americans suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

In people with this chronic condition, the airway narrows or collapses during sleep, and breathing pauses. This causes them to wake up intermittently throughout the night, often with a loud snort or choking sound. The interruptions make it hard to get a good night’s sleep, leading to tiredness, headaches, weight gain, high blood pressure and even heart attacks and strokes.

There is no cure for sleep apnea. The standard treatment is known as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which involves sleeping with a machine that blows air into the throat through a tube and mask. Though it’s effective, many people do not like sleeping with the machine. For many of them, an oral sleep apnea appliance is a good alternative.

The appliance is worn in the mouth like a nightguard. It’s designed to position the tongue, soft palate and uvula in a manner that opens up the airway and allows free breathing. Unlike CPAP therapy, an oral sleep apnea appliance requires no mask or bulky machine, and is more convenient and less intrusive. It’s also FDA-approved, so your health insurance may cover part or all of the cost.

In addition to helping you sleep better, it can also reduce snoring, so your sleep partner can get more rest, too. Dr. Ty Etheridge is highly skilled in oral appliance therapy using the FDA-approved Somnomed brand device, which he feels is the best in the market.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition and can only be diagnosed by your doctor, but the Epworth Sleepiness Scale can help you see if you might be getting inadequate sleep. If you do have diagnosed sleep apnea, and are interested in hearing more about how a custom-designed Somnomed oral appliance can help you live a happier, healthier life, please contact us for a free consultation.

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale

How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations, in contrast to feeling just tired? This refers to your usual way of life in recent times. Even if you have not done some of these things recently, try to work out how they would have affected you.

A score of 10 or more is considered sleepy. A score of 18 or more is very sleepy. If you score 10 or more on this test, you should consider whether you are obtaining adequate sleep, need to improve your sleep hygiene and/or need to see a sleep specialist. These issues should be discussed with your personal physician.

testimonials

See what patients are saying

Dr Etheridge and Staff – Just a note to say my dentist appointment today was actually enjoyable! Dental work with no pain and a nice staff. Thank you!
Sue G
Super impressed with Dr Ty and his staff – he’s embarking on sorting out some bad dental work done by another dentist in town and his honesty, approach and work are just great.
Debbie W
I highly recommend Dr. Ty. He and the staff are extremely kind, thoughtful and very thorough. Frankly it’s the best dentist experience I’ve ever had.
Chandler H
QUALITY: While other dentists were doing a superficial cleaning and calling it good, they identified that I need a deeper treatment and saved my gums. PERSONABLE: Dr. Ty follows up after every surgery (anything beyond a cleaning). BEAUTIFUL: The interior design is worthy of an Architectural Digest feature and is aligned with the care they put into the interior design of their customer’s mouths.
Char E
Our whole family has been going to Dr. Ty for several years.  My kids are so happy to go to the dentist.  they have always been kind, patient and understanding with the kids!  i am a very anxious patient and everyone in the office has gone out of their way to help make me comfortable.  There have been several times I have needed help and advice outside of office hours, and Dr. Ty has always gone over the top to help us out (one time calling me mid-way through his run to tell me he would meet us at the office to help out my daughter who had chipped her tooth)!  He is an excellent dentist and the entire staff is superb!
Leslie R
Dr. Etheridge has always gone above and beyond in his service to our family and several people that we’ve referred to him. His staff is friendly and the office is warm and inviting. He also caught the need for our youngest to have her tonsils looked at and referred us to a wonderful specialist, Alice Kuntz, at Bellevue Ear Nost and Throat. We have had a great experience with their office and will continue to use Dr. Etheridge for our families’ dental care.
Kristi Jenkins
When I first saw Dr. Etheridge, I had spent many years suffering from horribly abscessed teeth. Lots of root canals, ect. My teeth were so bad that they affected my general health. Dr. Etheridge went through my mouth tooth by tooth, redoing old fillings and putting on crowns. When my teeth were healthier than they’ve been for years, they were still stained yellow, so he suggested putting veneers on my teeth. Ever since I had my teeth done and the veneers put on, I’ve felt–finally, for the first time in years–no pain in my teeth. And they look great! Dr. Etheridge has a great bedside manner and was very kind and patient with me since he knows I’m a fearful dental patient. He is the best dentist in the universe.
Dana Vitale
My wife and I go to Etheridge Family Dentistry regularly.  Dr. Etheridge and staff are very professional.  We don’t have a lot of dental problems at this point, so it’s mostly cleanings and an occasional filling.  We both feel that we aren’t going to be having dental problems because we are so well looked-after. Great looking office, too.  We don’t have kids, but the office has a place for the kids to play, so they must be pretty good with them. Highly recommended.
Joann B

Care to leave a review? Click the link below and tell us about your experience.

CLICK HERE!

Ready to get started?
still have questions?
we are here to help!

When it comes to your oral health, the team of professionals at Etheridge Family Dentistry is ready to serve you!

call us today
contact us