Sleep apnea can affect far more than sleep. If left untreated, it can cause serious long-term health concerns when breathing is repeatedly interrupted at night. Dr. Tim Kozelsky and Dr. Cherie Kozelsky at Leon Springs Family Dental provide airway and sleep apnea treatment in San Antonio, TX, with custom dental solutions for better breathing. If you’ve been experiencing sleep apnea, you can experience relief with treatment from a dentist, with support for healthier sleep and oral function.
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea can occur when the airway becomes partially or completely blocked during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form, and it often happens when soft tissues in the back of the throat collapse and restrict airflow. When this happens repeatedly, oxygen levels can drop, sleep becomes fragmented, and the heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system work harder than they should during rest.
Common contributors may include:
- Excess weight or obesity
- A narrow airway
- Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
- A recessed or small jaw
- A large tongue or tongue posture concerns
Other factors can also contribute, including chronic nasal congestion, a deviated septum, smoking, family history, alcohol use, sedatives, aging, diabetes, and hypothyroidism. Because many patients have more than one contributing factor, effective treatment starts with identifying the reason the airway is becoming restricted.
What Dental Treatments Can Address Sleep Apnea?
Dentists can help treat sleep apnea when the airway restriction is related to jaw position, tongue position, bite alignment, or oral anatomy. Leon Springs Family Dental offers custom oral appliance therapy for many patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. These appliances are worn during sleep and are designed to reposition the lower jaw and tongue, so the airway stays more open throughout the night.
Dental sleep apnea options may include:
- Custom oral appliance therapy
- Digital scans for a precise appliance fit
- Gradual appliance adjustments
- Combination therapy with CPAP when appropriate
- Orthodontic or expansion-based solutions in select cases
Oral appliances are quiet, portable, and often easier for some patients to tolerate than CPAP. In some cases, an oral appliance may also be used with CPAP to allow lower pressure settings and improve compliance.
How Can a Dentist Decide Which Sleep Apnea Treatment Is Best?
A dentist decides which sleep apnea treatment is best by completing a comprehensive airway evaluation and reviewing your symptoms, oral anatomy, bite alignment, tongue size and position, medical history, and sleep study results. We may also use photographs and digital scans to document your airway dimensions and plan treatment with precision. If you have not had a sleep study, the team can coordinate testing with sleep physicians.
Treatment planning may include:
- Review of snoring and sleep symptoms
- Evaluation of jaw and bite alignment
- Tongue and airway assessment
- Review of existing sleep study results
- Coordination for an at-home or in-lab sleep test
A sleep study is important because it confirms the diagnosis and helps determine sleep apnea severity. After treatment begins, a follow-up sleep study may confirm that the appliance or prescribed therapy is keeping the airway open effectively.
Can Sleep Apnea Come Back After Dental Treatment?
Sleep apnea can return or become less controlled if the airway changes, the appliance no longer fits correctly, symptoms worsen, weight changes occur, or the underlying condition progresses. Oral appliance therapy is not a one-time cure you can forget after the device is made. It requires consistent use, a proper fit, periodic follow-up, and monitoring to ensure breathing remains well controlled.
Long-term success may depend on:
- Wearing the appliance consistently
- Keeping follow-up appointments
- Monitoring jaw joint comfort
- Updating the appliance when needed
- Managing lifestyle or health factors that affect the airway
Some patients may see improvement with weight loss, smoking cessation, or other lifestyle changes, but sleep apnea usually requires ongoing treatment to protect health and quality of life. Regular dental and medical follow-up help you maintain better sleep, safer breathing, and lasting symptom relief.
Schedule a Consultation for Sleep Apnea Treatment with Dr. Kozelsky Today
Dr. Kozelsky brings advanced dental training, airway-focused evaluation, and personalized treatment planning to sleep apnea care in Leon Springs, Fair Oaks, and San Antonio, TX. Ready to explore dental sleep apnea treatment in San Antonio, TX? Schedule a consultation with Leon Springs Family Dental today.