New Hanover County · Since 1987
Sleep Apnea Treatment in Wrightsville Beach, NC
For diagnosed mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, a custom oral appliance holds the lower jaw forward and keeps the airway open. Many patients who cannot tolerate CPAP can tolerate this.
- Three doctors, one location
- Sedation available
- Most major plans accepted
- Written estimates before treatment
The basics of sleep apnea appliances
The appliance looks like two connected night guards. It advances the mandible a few millimeters, which keeps the tongue and soft tissue from collapsing back during sleep.
Full detail on sleep apnea appliances ›
Wrightsville Beach patients and this treatment
Wrightsville Beach has the highest household incomes in the region and a resident base that treats a good smile as part of the package.
Clenching from work stress shows up on the teeth long before anyone connects the headaches to it, and it is one of the more common findings at a first exam here.
Harbour Island and the Banks Channel side send us most of our Wrightsville Beach patients, and the drawbridge is the only real variable in the trip.
Summer traffic on Eastwood Road is worth planning around; a morning appointment is a different journey from a four o'clock one in July.
The island's year-round population is small, so almost everyone here already drives into Wilmington for medical appointments.
We see patients from across Wrightsville Beach and the surrounding area, including Johnnie Mercer's Pier, the Loop, Banks Channel and the 28480 ZIP code.
New Hanover County is the built-out core of the region, growing around one percent a year, with roughly 21 percent of residents over 65 and the highest concentration of employer dental coverage in southeastern North Carolina.
We will show you the options at different price points and be clear about which difference you will notice and which you will not.
Twenty minutes over the drawbridge puts you in a chair with a doctor who does this work every week, not a cosmetic clinic that sees veneers twice a year.
You may be a candidate if
- A diagnosis of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea
- CPAP prescribed but not tolerated
- Loud snoring with witnessed pauses in breathing
- Daytime sleepiness despite adequate hours
- Enough healthy teeth to retain the appliance
Your treatment, start to finish
- Referral and sleep studyDiagnosis first. We coordinate with your physician.
- RecordsImpressions and a bite registration at the starting jaw position.
- DeliveryThe appliance is fitted and we show you how it seats.
- TitrationWe advance it gradually over several weeks to the effective position.
- Follow-up studyYour physician confirms it is working.
Afterwards
Morning jaw stiffness for the first weeks is common and settles. We check your bite periodically because long-term appliance wear can shift it slightly, and catching that early is easy.
Follow-up visits are short and we will schedule them at the start or end of the day if that works better around your week.
What it costs
Oral appliances for diagnosed sleep apnea are usually a medical benefit rather than a dental one. Coverage varies and it is worth pursuing. We will help you assemble what your medical carrier asks for.
We can sequence larger cases across two benefit years where the clinical situation allows it, which puts two annual maximums against the same plan of treatment.
In their own words
Hear from Dr. Josh Winneberger
Dr. Winneberger on getting you numb without you noticing, and helping nervous patients get comfortable in the chair.
Questions we get asked
Do I need a sleep study first?
Yes. We do not treat undiagnosed apnea, and a study is what tells us whether an appliance is appropriate.
Will it change my bite?
Small changes can occur over years of wear. We monitor for it, and monitored change is manageable.
How far is your office from Wrightsville Beach?
About 10 miles, or roughly 20 minutes via Eastwood Road (US-74) over the Heide Trask Drawbridge. We are at 1301 Physicians Dr in Wilmington, with parking at the door.
Do you see patients from Wrightsville Beach?
Regularly. Wrightsville Beach is part of our core service area in New Hanover County, and twenty minutes over the drawbridge puts you in a chair with a doctor who does this work every week, not a cosmetic clinic that sees veneers twice a year.
What are your hours?
Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm. Outside those hours, leave a message or use the appointment request form and we will come back to you with the first available time.
Sleep Apnea Treatment · Wrightsville Beach, NC
Honest dentistry, since 1987.
We will tell you what needs doing now, what can wait, and what we would leave alone.
- Over 50,000 patients treated since 1987
- Comprehensive new patient exam including oral cancer screening
- Three doctors and a long-tenured team
- Most major dental plans accepted
Been told you need a lot of work somewhere else? Second opinions are welcome and we give them straight.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.
