Sleep Apnea in St. Louis, MO

Tired of Living With Disruptive Sleep Apnea Symptoms?

Is Snoring Becoming a Nightmare for You and Your Loved Ones?

We Provide the Quality, Comfortable Sleep Apnea Care You’ve Been Dreaming Of!

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when a sleeping patient’s airway becomes blocked by relaxed oral tissues, causing a temporary suspension of breathing. Each pause in breathing is called an “apneic event,” and a single patient can experience hundreds of apneic events each night.

During an apneic event, the patient is unable to inhale oxygen or exhale carbon dioxide. This results in low blood oxygen levels and elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the patient’s blood. The patient’s body effectively “restarts” the breathing process when blood oxygen levels become precariously low; this disrupts the patient’s natural, restorative sleep cycle. 

Sleep apnea sufferers often deal with a number of unpleasant symptoms, including:

• Snoring
• Memory and concentration problems
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Dry Mouth

Loss of oxygen from sleep apnea may additionally contribute to systemic diseases in the patient’s arteries, heart, and brain.

Watch our Sleep Apnea Video

Treat Sleep Apnea Comfortably and Effectively…

Traditionally, obstructive sleep apnea has been treated using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, which use mild air pressure to keep the patient’s airway unobstructed. Unfortunately, CPAP machines are uncomfortable for many people to use, and have resultantly low rates of patient compliance.

At St. Louis County Dental we have a better solution!

Our team uses custom-crafted oral appliances to gently move the patient’s jaw and tongue forward, allowing the patient to breathe easily through the night. These mouthpieces are simple to use, comfortable to wear, and easy to clean. They’re also much  more discreet than traditional CPAP machines!

Why do so many sleep apnea sufferers choose St. Louis County Dental for sleep apnea solutions?

State-of-the-Art Treatment

Our team takes the guesswork out of treating breathing problems. Stop struggling with the symptoms of sleep apnea, and attack the root of the problem. We employ the latest technologies to treat the underlying dysfunction that creates disordered breathing. Effective treatment can help you avoid health risks such as fatigue, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. 

Stop Disruptive Snoring 

Did you know that snoring can be an indicator of obstructive sleep apnea and oxygen deficiency? Don’t waste another sleepless night! Our team can outfit you or your spouse with a simple oral appliance that alleviates snoring and give you a peaceful night’s sleep again.

Patient-Friendly Solutions

Our staff uses a variety of techniques, including CPAP-alternatives like unobtrusive orthodontic devices, to treat sleep apnea comfortably and conveniently. Because treating sleep apnea is an ongoing process, it’s important that your treatment plan is compatible with your lifestyle; rest assured that you will have control and approval of your new sleep apnea protocol every step of the way.

Real Patients. Real Results.

Christina, a veneer case.

Laurie

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Tetracycline Stains (learn more)

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Tetracycline Stains

The deep internal stains caused by the antibiotic, tetracycline, can’t be erased with any amount of good brushing and flossing. This can be embarrassing and even depressing to people living with this common problem. Fortunately there is a wonderful solution: the artistic application of beautiful, life-like porcelain veneers. Since the dark stains are actually “inside” the tooth structure, the doctor chose to carefully color the tooth underneath the porcelain so that the combined effect of the tooth color showing through the porcelain, resulted in a beautiful, translucent, living smile look – instead of just a lighter shade of dull.

Full mouth smile design case

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Chris (learn more)

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Chris

Chris has one of those great contagious laughs. As Dr. Grayem’s long time friend, it was a pleasure to give him the look that fit his personality, and all it took was 4 veneers to close the space.

Gender-specific Smile Make-over (learn more)

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Gender-specific Smile Make-over

Perhaps you’ve never considered the idea of a smile being masculine or feminine, but this lady’s “before” look is a perfect example of a smile that was simply too masculine for her personality. The teeth were squared off, wide at the biting edge, and projected slightly forward. This made her appear aggressive instead of happy when she smiled. Her re-designed smile is a beautiful example of feminizing the appearance through smile design. Newly rounded curves where the biting edges touch the adjacent teeth, (called embrasures), contouring to accomplish a gum lift, and a generally softened appearance, now project a gentle, feminine style. Accomplishing this makeover included the use of custom-blended porcelain crowns and veneers.

Alison (learn more)

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Alison

Alison came to our office after having veneers done at another “cosmetic office.” She thought her teeth looked bulky and unnatural. Dr. Grayem gave Alison the smile she was hoping to have the first time and she looked beautiful for her wedding a few weeks later.

Veneer Makeover (learn more)

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Veneer Makeover

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A SMILE MAKES! If you had met this young man before his smile was transformed you might have made some very wrong assumptions about him. Because he hated his teeth and was embarrassed to show them, he tended to avoid eye contact and squelched every impulse to laugh or smile. This gave the impression that he was grumpy and antisocial, in fact, he was simply trying to hide a smile that was a source of so much embarrassment. His awesome new look was achieved through the artistic design and skillful application of all porcelain veneers. In just two visits, gaps were closed, stains erased, and decay removed. He now flashes his dazzling, healthy new smile at every opportunity. This guy has gained a quantum leap in self-confidence and optimism!

Jane (learn more)

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Jane

Jane thanked Dr. Grayem for changing her life with her new upper smile design and cosmetic gum recontouring.

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David (learn more)

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David

David wanted a bright white smile that people would notice. Dr. Grayem was honored to give it to him.

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Completed full mouth smile design

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Full mouth smile design

Cosmetic Dentistry

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Cosmetic Dentistry

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Cosmetic Dentistry (learn more)

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Cosmetic Dentistry

Left: Patient unhappy with crowns recently done by another “cosmetic” dentist leaving a gummy smile with inflamed gums from poorly fitted crowns. Right: Our smile design included laser contouring her gum line and restoring her smile with the appropriate shape, color and contours to give her the healthy smile she deserved.