Lisa Otterbacher2 years ago
★★★★★
Truly this is one of the best dental offices I’ve ever been to. I moved to the area and had been looking…
Obstructive sleep apnea — where the airway collapses repeatedly during sleep — is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in adults. A custom-fit oral appliance gently repositions the lower jaw during sleep to keep the airway open, delivering effective treatment in a form many patients dramatically prefer over CPAP.
Systemic Health Consequences
Untreated OSA is associated with significantly increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. Treating sleep apnea is active cardiovascular disease prevention.
Sleep apnea disrupts critical metabolic regulation — linked heavily to insulin resistance, unexpected weight gain, and systemic difficulty managing type 2 diabetes. Treatment improves metabolic markers.
Fragmented sleep from repeated sleep apnea events causes severe daytime fatigue, impaired concentration, long-term memory challenges, and increased accident risks — including drowsy driving.
Loud snoring and sleep disruption affect bed partners as well — chronic sleep deprivation for both partners represents a significant quality-of-life issue that oral appliances directly address.
Treatment Modality Comparison
Clinical Workflow Matrix
A confirmed medical sleep apnea diagnosis is required before starting treatment. We can refer you for an accessible home sleep test or coordinate with your current physician if already diagnosed.
High-resolution digital impressions are taken. A custom mandibular advancement device (MAD) is fabricated — built precisely to mirror your bite, avoiding store-bought over-the-counter options.
Your appliance is gradually adjusted over several quick follow-up checks to locate the optimal jaw positioning that eliminates airway collapse events while remaining perfectly comfortable.
A subsequent, non-invasive follow-up sleep test confirms the appliance is successfully managing apnea events. Ongoing annual monitoring tracks your airway long-term.
Oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea is billed through your medical insurance benefits, not dental. Our office team navigates all pre-authorizations and cross-coding to maximize your insurance coverage.
We work in close, active partnership with your sleep physician or regional pulmonologist throughout care — sharing diagnostic records, tracking progress, and confirming alignment success via testing.
Sleep apnea is a chronic medical condition. We provide vital annual appliance checks, integrity tracking, and structural adjustments over time to ensure your long-term airway health stays protected.
Truly this is one of the best dental offices I’ve ever been to. I moved to the area and had been looking…
The staff is incredible. Very clean and up to date facility! Great asset to Whitehall!
Always very helpful and informative. They take Ashley's insurance, and they definitely do good work.
I'm from out of town. I had a dental issue that needed to be taken care of ASAP. I called Dr. Matthews…
While residing in La Crosse, Wisconsin, my family's dentist was Dr. Jeff Matthews of Matthews Family Dental in Whitehall. Although the drive…
Matthews Family Dental is great! My kids have gotten BRACES from Dr. Matthews and their smiles are looking great!
I needed an emergency tooth extraction and Dr. Mathews was able to get me in within a couple of hours. The office…
Our whole family is seen by Dr. Matthews! Nothing but good things to say about him, his team and our dental work!
My husband, our daughter, and I have always came here when we were still residing in Whitehall, WI. Dr. Matthews have always…
Great team and always a great experience!
Been going to Dr. Matthews for a few years and will continue going back, despite having to drive over an hour. Tried…
Had my braces done here, and it turned out great. Very nice office and staff makes me feel like I'm appreciated. Even…
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A detailed clinical comparison of custom oral appliance therapy options for patients actively struggling to tolerate or wear a CPAP machine.
Targeted soft-tissue therapies and custom dental guards designed to eliminate disruptive chronic snoring in patients free of active sleep apnea.
Temporomandibular jaw disorders and sleep apnea frequently coexist — both are diagnosed and treated through balanced orthopedic treatment plans.