The quality of your sleep greatly affects your quality of life. The good news is that help is readily available and usually doesn’t require medications. If you think you may have sleep apnea or you know someone who might, please ask us for a referral to a qualified sleep specialist in your area, or talk to your primary care doctor. Treating sleep apnea can add more life to your years and more years to your life.

Oral appliance therapy has become a widely used and accepted method of treating sleep disordered breathing. The gold standard therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Although CPAP is usually very effective in treating OSA, there are many patients who are not able to tolerate its use. If you have tried to use CPAP but have given up on using the therapy, an oral appliance may be for you.

If your physician believes that your snoring is not a symptom of a more serious sleep disordered breathing problem, an oral appliance can be used to quiet your snoring and improve the sleep of your bed partner! Our doctors have brought many couples back to the same bedroom by eliminating snoring. Since snoring is currently viewed as a “cosmetic” issue by insurance companies, your insurance will usually not help with the cost of your care. However, snoring is often a symptom of sleep apnea or upper airway resistance syndrome. Our doctors recommend evaluation by a knowledgeable sleep specialist, ENT, or neurologist prior to any treatment for snoring.

Most insurance carriers offer benefits for oral appliance therapy treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disordered breathing issues. To file for insurance coverage you must first be diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The appropriate diagnostic code (ICD 9) is 327.23. All insurance claims should be filed under your medical plan. Some private insurance carriers require that you are intolerant to or have failed Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). When this is the case, we will request information from your treating physician that documents your inability to use CPAP and your need for an oral appliance. Please check with your insurance carrier for specific coverage benefits and reference billing code: E0486. Feel free to contact us with any insurance questions.