What Happens at a Sleep Apnea Consultation With a Dentist?

Quick answer: At a sleep apnea consultation with Dr. Pooja Goel, you talk through your symptoms and sleep history, review any sleep study results, and have your jaw, bite and airway examined. If you have not been diagnosed, testing is coordinated with a sleep physician. If an oral appliance is right for you, impressions are taken and your insurance benefits are checked before treatment.

Dr. Pooja Goel at Smiles for Life Dental Group in Santa Clara

Booking a sleep apnea appointment with a dentist is new territory for most people. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so you know what to expect when you come to our Santa Clara office.

Step 1: Your Story

We start by listening. How long have you snored? Has anyone seen you stop breathing? Do you wake up tired, with headaches or a dry mouth? Have you tried CPAP? We may ask you to fill in a short questionnaire about daytime sleepiness, which helps measure how much your sleep is affecting your day.

Step 2: An Exam of Your Jaw, Bite and Airway

Dr. Goel examines your teeth, gums and bite, how your jaw moves, and the size and shape of your airway, tongue and throat. Because she is also a Diplomate in Craniofacial Pain, she checks the jaw joint for TMJ problems, which often overlap with sleep-disordered breathing.

Dr. Pooja Goel in the treatment room at Smiles for Life Dental Group

Step 3: A Diagnosis

Sleep apnea has to be diagnosed by a physician from a sleep study. If you already have a diagnosis, we review the report together. If not, we coordinate testing with a sleep physician — often a home sleep test you do in your own bed.

Step 4: Checking Your Insurance

Oral appliance therapy for diagnosed sleep apnea is billed through your medical insurance. Our team verifies your benefits and any referral or prior authorization your plan needs before your appliance is made.

Step 5: Your Custom Appliance

Digital impressions of your teeth are taken and your appliance is made to fit precisely. At delivery we check the fit and show you how to wear and clean it. Over the next few visits, Dr. Goel adjusts the jaw position step by step until your symptoms improve and the appliance is comfortable.

Step 6: Confirming It Works

Many patients have a follow-up sleep study with the appliance in place, so you and your sleep physician can see how much your breathing during sleep has improved. After that, we see you periodically to keep the fit right.

Want to know more first? Read Do I have sleep apnea? or sleep apnea treatment without CPAP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan for about an hour for your first visit, so there is time to review your history, examine your jaw and airway, and answer your questions.

Any sleep study results, a list of your medications, your medical insurance card, and — if you have one — your CPAP settings or notes about why it has not worked for you.

No. Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a physician from a sleep study. Dr. Goel screens for it, coordinates testing with a sleep physician, and provides treatment with an oral appliance once you are diagnosed.

After diagnosis and insurance approval, digital impressions are taken and your custom appliance is made. Delivery usually follows within a few weeks, then follow-up visits fine-tune it.