Recharge Your Life
Treatment of Snoring, Disturbed Sleep,
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Other Sleep Disorders
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About Dr. Soileau
Dr. Tony Soileau began his work in Dental Sleep Medicine after not being able to tolerate a CPAP himself. He was diagnosed with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea in 2008. He was prescribed a CPAP with lower pressure settings. In a perfect world, he should’ve been the ideal candidate for PAP Therapy.
Sadly, this wasn’t the case. After many years of country living & rodeo participation, his nose had been broken many times. These previous injuries made CPAP usage more cumbersome. He had surgical intervention, but it wasn’t enough help.
As an avid hunter, having to pack up the machine, mask & hose to head to the camp during season was an additional issue. Forgetting something meant turning around or resolving to a worse night of sleep. He never had a great night of sleep with the CPAP to begin with.
After putting his CPAP in his closet, he set out to find an alternative. He knew he needed to treat his medical condition. His next dental conference focused on FDA approved oral appliances to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea. He received his first appliance, and he was hooked! He found exactly what he was looking for. It’s compact, doesn’t require electricity & comfortable to wear.
Things to know about Sleep Apnea
The stereotype of a sleep apnea patient is an overweight or obese man who snores. But the truth is sleep apnea affects many more people than just that. Because symptoms are so broad, sleep apnea is often misdiagnosed as depression, fatigue, or something else. However, the number of men and women affected don’t lie.
Have You Been Diagnosed With Sleep Apnea?
What Are The Steps to Get HELP?
1. New Patient Appointment
The New Patient appointment consists of a full mouth digital x-rays and pictures. Dr. Soileau needs to ensure the dental health is adequate for oral appliance therapy.
If he sees any dental issues, he will inform you. We work with your current dentist on any dental treatment you might need. We are not trying to replace your dentist. You do not have to be a dental patient to be a sleep patient!
Dr. Soileau will review the various models that he offers. He’ll discuss the Pros and Cons of each, so you can make the most informed choice. He’ll answer any treatment questions that you might have.
2. Home Sleep Study
Most people think of an in-lab sleep study. There are 14 leads attached to your body, window/cameras for people to ‘watch’ you, not your mattress or temperature plus other differences. Definitely doesn’t sound like your ‘normal’ night of sleep.
With our home testing system, you can keep your normal nighttime schedule, stay in your own home and not anyone watch you sleep. We tell or patients not to study for this test. What do we mean by that? Well, if you normally have an adult beverage or two before bed, we want you to still do that.
We offer the tiniest home sleep testing unit on the market. Bluetooth connectivity, easy to wear and quick results!
3. Choosing a Model
Prosomnus Evo - The first OAT device to incorporate advanced materials, manufacturing robotics and artificial intelligence to advance the treatment of OSA.
Somnomed Avant- The upper and lower splints are designed with the latest Computer Aided Design software and are milled using a single piece of pre-cured dental acrylic.
Serena Elevate - Minimal profile and anatomically correct design to maximize oral cavity volume. Precise incremental mandibular advancement to optimize success.
Herbst- One of the original technologies to start Oral Appliance Therapy for OSA. We have a model that Medicare covers.
4. Digital Impressions
Gone are the days of having to place trays of goop in your mouth for most impressions. Today’s technology allows for full arch digital impression scanning.
After the assistant scans your digital impressions, Dr. Soileau will capture your bite record for starting placement.
These records are submitted to the lab directly from the scanning unit.
5. Delivery Appointment
Most labs turnaround time is about 4 weeks. We do our upmost to schedule your delivery appointment within 24 hours of receiving your case from the lab. We understand the importance of starting treatment as soon as possible.
You will be fitted with an AM Aligner during this appointment. This appliance will be utilized in the mornings to insure your daytime bite is not effected by your OSA treatment.
The assistant will verify the appliance is fitting as it should. They will review all wear and care instructions with you. A home cleaning kit is included.
6. Follow-Up Appointments
The oral appliance needs to be adjusted initially in treatment. Depending on which model you selected, we will have you return in either one week or one month for your first adjustment appointment.
The facial muscles of patients with OSA are usually tight. We include four TENS sessions (similar to an electronic massage) as part of the treatment package. This loosens the facial muscles to increase comfort.
To gauge the progress of your treatment, we will periodically ask you to perform titration home sleep studies. You will be assigned a testing unit for your convenience.