<p>Sleep disorders and sleeplessness are on the rise. Around 50 to 70 million adults in the US have a sleep disorder, ranging from insomnia, drowsiness, to short sleep.</p>
<p>While insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, it is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea. However, 80% of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea go undiagnosed.</p>
<p><strong>What is sleep apnea?</strong></p>
<p>Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. These pauses may interrupt one’s sleep, causing lower quality sleep and affecting the body’s supply of oxygen.</p>
<p>This may lead to serious health consequences like high blood pressure, chronic heart failure, and other cardiovascular problems. It can even account for irritability, anxiety, and depression. It has also become a factor in many traffic accidents.</p>
<p>Sleep apnea falls under three categories. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused when muscles relax and block the airway. Central sleep apnea is when the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe, while complex sleep apnea is a combination of the two. OSA is the more common of the three and it can strike people of any age.</p>
<p>Sleep apnea can be partly remedied by managing lifestyle factors such as weight, diet, and exercise. Typically, this sleep disorder requires the use of various devices during sleep, such as the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.</p>
<p><strong>CPAP Machine Usage</strong></p>
<p>For the last 30 years, CPAP has been the go-to form of treatment for OSA.</p>
<p>CPAP machines work by delivering pressurized air into the nose and mouth through a hose and mask while the patient sleeps. This steady flow ensures that the patient’s airway is open.</p>
<p>CPAP machines are generally effective at treating sleep apnea. Unfortunately, many find its bulky setup uncomfortable and constricting, potentially inducing claustrophobia and further restlessness.</p>
<p>Around 50% to 60% of patients prescribed CPAP therapy eventually abandon it, heightening their risk of developing potentially life-threatening health conditions. With these statistics, there is a clear and urgent need for alternatives.</p>
<p><strong>New Options Today</strong></p>
<p>Dr. Christopher Hart is a dentist in training and a sufferer of sleep apnea himself. One night, he improvised a mouthpiece out of putty and some plastic tubes after finding CPAP machines to be too suffocating. He discovered that this more comfortable alternative bore potential.</p>
<p>Hart’s colleague, lab tech Michael Slater, later developed a prototype out of acrylic. This would become the first step towards Oventus Medical, a medical device company, established by Hart in 2012 to meet the needs of fellow OSA sufferers and non-compliant CPAP users.</p>
<p><strong>The O2Vent Optima</strong></p>
<p>What was originally an improvised putty mouthpiece later became the O2Vent Optima, a device that puts the patient’s needs front and center.</p>
<p>Each medical-grade titanium mouthguard is 3D printed to precisely suit each individual. It is lightweight, discreet, and portable, with none of the uncomfortable tubes, masks, or machines of a CPAP machine. This makes the O2Vent Optima perfect for patients with mild to severe sleep apnea or nasal congestions who find CPAP machines too inconvenient.</p>
<p>The O2Vent Optima allows for airflow to the back of the mouth while maintaining an oral seal and stable jaw position. Its built-in Oventus Airway Technology avoids multiple obstructions from the nose, soft palate, and tongue which can contribute to OSA and snoring.</p>
<p>The O2Vent Optima is approved by the FDA and backed by peer-reviewed studies. Compared to standard mouthguards, it increases the response rate to sleep apnea therapy by 40%. Additionally, clinical trials show that it is the only device with a 100% response rate to snoring.</p>
<p><strong>GoPAPFree</strong></p>
<p>Due to COVID-19, people have become more cost-conscious and hesitant about receiving in-person medical care.</p>
<p>Luckily, Oventus offers an alternative to CPAP treatment in the US. Through<span> </span><a href="https://gopapfree.com/">GoPAPFree</a>, Oventus is the only site delivering dentist-guided oral appliance therapy to a patient’s home.</p>
<p>GoPAPFree’s care delivery model is similar to dental aligner companies that ship mold impression kits straight to your home, making access to sleep apnea treatment a lot safer, more convenient, and cost-efficient.</p>
<p>GoPAPFree also provides free consultations to assess if the O2Vent Optima is the right treatment for a patient’s sleep apnea. GoPAPFree also boasts a nationwide network of board-certified dentists who oversee each patient remotely.</p>
<p>Most insurance plans provide coverage for a sleep therapy device. Patients are also given three flexible payment options to choose from. GoPAPFree offers a payment plan option of $295 down and $95 a month for 24 months.</p>
<p>GoPAPFree’s normal cash pay discount is 20%, but for a limited time, patients can enjoy a $1,000 cash pay discount which covers all virtual dentist visits and the design and fitting of the device.</p>
<p>The O2Vent Optima is an unprecedented innovation in sleep apnea treatment. Its cutting-edge air channel technology offers significant benefits over other oral appliances, making it utterly unrivaled.</p>
<p>No other device can ensure that you sleep quietly and comfortably through the night than the O2Vent Optima.</p>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.healthtechzone.com/topics/healthcare/articles/2021/05/13/448879-gopapfree-following-the-successful-footsteps-smile-direct.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Healthtechzone.com</strong></a></p>