What to expect

Complementary Virtual Consultation

Dr. Tara Dental is offering the option of a complimentary virtual consultation.

Your first consultation with Dr. Tara will be scheduled as a virtual visit in the convenience of your own home. Dr. Tara will listen to your concerns about your sleep, snoring/sleep apnea and related health concerns. Questions you may have throughout the appointment will be heard and discussed. If you have had a sleep study*, Dr. Tara can review the results and its relevance to your health and choosing treatments. Treatment options for snoring and sleep apnea, as per the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine guidelines, will be discussed, including oral appliance therapy. You will have the opportunity to see an oral appliance and how it works. This complimentary virtual visit typically takes 45 minutes. Following the virtual consultation, if you are interested in using an oral appliance to improve your sleep, the next step is to schedule an in-office visit.

* If you have not already had a sleep study, a referral for this investigation can be arranged after the virtual visit.

In-office Visit with Dr. Tara

An in-person visit is required to decide if oral appliance therapy is right for you. During your appointment, Dr. Tara will complete a limited exam of your oral health and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) to establish if you are a candidate for oral appliance therapy. Dr. Tara will provide recommendations for treating your snoring or sleep apnea and will communicate with your referring physician. This in-office visit is typically covered in part or entirely by your dental insurance plan.

Dr. Tara’s team will discuss fees and help determine your insurance coverage for oral appliance therapy, most often covered by medical insurance and health spending accounts.

Starting Oral Appliance Therapy

Should you decided to select oral appliance therapy, additional appointments will be scheduled. The next step is a detailed oral exam and measurements for your custom oral appliance. Dr. Tara will demonstrate a variety of oral appliance designs to help choose which is best for you. It takes approximately 2-4 weeks for your custom oral appliance to be fabricated. At the next appointment, Dr. Tara will assess the comfort and fit of the oral appliance and provide you with instructions on its use and care. Brief follow-up appointments at our clinic will be scheduled to guide and monitor comfort, effectiveness and address any adverse effects. When you and Dr. Tara determine the oral appliance to be optimally adjusted, a follow-up sleep study will be scheduled to objectively evaluate effectiveness. This is important as sleep apnea may persist even after snoring has stopped.