Why You Should Consider a Second Opinion for Sleep Apnea Treatment
If you received a life-changing diagnosis that confirmed you had a health condition, you might want to receive a second opinion. You also might want to receive a second opinion if your doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with you but you knew in your heart that something wasn’t right. Not only would you want to receive a second opinion for your diagnosis, but also for your treatment. You should consider a second opinion for the following reasons:
- It will confirm if you do or do not have sleep apnea to eliminate any doubt you feel
- You will hear your diagnosis in a new way that might help you better understand
- You might receive a different recommendation for treatment
- You will learn the differences between various treatment options
Sleep Study and Diagnosis Second Opinion
There is only one way to diagnose sleep apnea and that’s with a sleep study. You might find that some doctors don’t even conduct the sleep study because they find them unnecessary. However, the sleep study is completely necessary to accurately diagnose your sleep apnea and to evaluate its severity.
There are two different ways to complete a sleep study: either at a facility where they monitor you while you sleep or in the comfort of your home where you wear a device like WatchPat while you sleep. A physician will then evaluate your results and conclude whether or not you have sleep apnea.
The test records your heart rate, breathing rate, leg movement, eye movement, oxygen levels, brain waves, and more while you sleep. In some cases, you might have an interruption during your sleep study which can give inconclusive or erroneous results. If you don’t get a full night of data, or you feel like the results don’t make sense to you, we highly recommend doing a second test.
If you have yet to take a sleep study or you think your last sleep study gave you the wrong results, please contact us and we can help arrange a sleep study to diagnose you and we can guide your next steps based on your specific situation. Treating sleep apnea is all we do, so we are very familiar with the most efficient and effective paths to diagnosis and treatment, and we are happy to help guide you.
Why You Should Visit a Sleep Dentist for a Second Opinion for Sleep Apnea Treatment
In most cases, doctors will recommend CPAP as the best sleep apnea treatment option for you. Before you spend time and money on a device that many people find too uncomfortable to wear while they sleep, it’s important to learn about the other treatment options available to you. When you visit the Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center for a second opinion about your sleep apnea treatment, we will carefully explain to you the different options for treatment, both ones we provide in our office, and others that we feel may be appropriate for you.
Doctors Don’t Examine Your Airway
When you visit a sleep dentist, we examine your airway to see how and why your airway collapses. We also examine the rest of your mouth to see if any dental issues are the cause of an airway obstruction. This analysis is crucial to determine whether you’re a good candidate for oral appliance therapy, and if so, which of the many available oral appliances would best fit your specific needs.
Doctors Recommend CPAP Because They Don’t Know the Effectiveness of Oral Appliances
Most doctors recommend CPAP to patients with sleep apnea because they don’t actually know how effective oral appliances are for treatment. Oral appliances can treat most cases of sleep apnea, regardless of severity. In fact, many studies are now deeming oral appliances and CPAPs equal in treatment outcome because people are much more likely to use an oral appliance. No treatment is effective if it is not used. We successfully treat all levels of sleep apnea every day, and most insurance policies will cover either treatment. At Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center, we offer a selection of oral appliances to ensure we are using the most appropriate one for each individual person
Oral appliances are much more comfortable to wear at night, more convenient to transport and clean, and more cost-effective than CPAP in the long run. When your treatment works for you, you’re more likely to use it consistently. Consistently using your oral appliance is the only way to reap the health benefits of treatment.
Some doctors will only prescribe CPAP because they may have a negative perception of oral appliances from either an over the counter device, or one from a dentist who was not properly credentialed or trained. Properly providing oral appliance therapy for patients takes a lot of experience and training, and given the life and death matter of the disease, should not be taken lightly.
The dentists at Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center do no other dentistry. They are fully dedicated to successfully treating sleep issues. This focus makes us unique in the training and experience we are able to pass along to our patients. We work hard to make sure everyone is successfully treated and we are constantly learning new and improved techniques and practices. Our facility reflects this in its Accreditation by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, being the only one to achieve this in the region. In fact, there are only about 60 facilities in the entire nation to achieve this!
Contact Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center in Omaha For a Second Opinion Today
If you feel like your first sleep apnea diagnosis or treatment recommendation was wrong in any way, or you’re unhappy with your current treatment plan, don’t hesitate to visit us at Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center in Omaha for a sleep apnea second opinion.
Our dentists at Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center have more than three decades of experience, state-of-the-art technology, and more continuing education than any other dental sleep professional in the area. Together, their experience and knowledge can transform your life and overall health with the right sleep apnea treatment for you.
We’re happy to evaluate your case and provide you with an effective way to treat your sleep apnea. Please call (402) 493-4175 to scheduling an appointment.
