ROANOKE, Va. – A new way to treat sleep apnea has arrived in Southwest Virginia.
The Southwest Virginia Sleep Center, an addition to Henritze Dental Group, is one of the first of its kind in the region to offer a combined dental officer and sleep center under one roof.
The center offers customized mouthpieces for people who experience obstructive sleep apnea.
The treatment offers an alternative to traditional C-PAP treatments.
“One out of four dental patients have sleep apnea and are not aware of it. It is a life-threatening disease. So we already look at the mouth for oral cancer, and there are actually signs in the mouth that someone might be struggling with breathing,” said Dr. Lynn Copeland.
They said the mouthpieces are covered by medical insurance and Medicare.