Sleep Apnea Treatment in Cedar Hills, Portland, OR

Why Patients Choose Elite Dental Care for Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep apnea is a medical condition, but a dentist is often the right first call. The mouth and jaw play a direct role in how your airway behaves while you sleep, and a well-fitted oral appliance can make a meaningful difference, especially for mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Patients come here because they want a real conversation, not a one-size-fits-all answer.

A few things that matter to the patients we see:

• More than two decades of experience with dental sleep medicine in the Portland area
• Conservative approach: Dr. Zavari recommends only what is genuinely indicated for your situation
• Custom-fitted appliances made from precise digital impressions, not generic trays
• No double-booking; your appointment time is focused entirely on you
• Tuesday evening hours for patients who cannot get away during the day
• In-network with many major insurance plans, with financing through CareCredit and LendingPoint

A Conservative, Minimally Invasive Approach to Better Sleep

Dr. Zavari's treatment philosophy starts with education. Before anything is recommended, she wants you to understand what is happening in your airway, why it matters, and what your options are. That means no pressure, no upselling, and no treatment you do not fully understand first. For many patients, a custom oral appliance is the least invasive path to real relief, and that is exactly the kind of solution she looks for first.

What Happens When Sleep Apnea Goes Untreated

It is easy to dismiss poor sleep as a lifestyle issue. But untreated sleep apnea puts real strain on your body over time. Each time your airway closes during the night, your oxygen levels drop and your heart works harder to compensate. Repeated night after night, that adds up.

Research consistently links untreated sleep apnea to elevated risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Daytime fatigue from fragmented sleep affects concentration, mood, and reaction time, creating risks at work and behind the wheel. Relationships suffer too, when a partner is losing sleep alongside you. And the condition itself tends to worsen without intervention, meaning the longer it goes unaddressed, the harder it becomes to manage.

Getting evaluated sooner gives you more options and, often, a simpler path to relief.

How Dental Sleep Apnea Treatment Works

Sleep apnea treatment through a dentist focuses on the position of your jaw and tongue during sleep. A custom oral appliance holds your lower jaw slightly forward, which keeps the airway open and prevents the soft tissue collapse that causes apnea events and snoring. It is small, fits in a travel case, and makes no noise.

Your First Visit: Assessment and Oral Evaluation

Your first appointment is a conversation and an examination. Dr. Zavari will ask about your sleep patterns, any symptoms you or your partner have noticed, and whether you have had a formal sleep study. She will examine your teeth, jaw, and bite to understand your anatomy and identify any related issues like jaw tension or tooth wear that may be connected. From there, she will walk you through what she found and what she recommends, with no jargon and no rushing.

If you have not had a sleep study yet, she can help you understand when that step is needed and how to coordinate with your physician.

Custom Oral Appliance Therapy vs. CPAP

For patients with mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea, oral appliance therapy is a well-established alternative to CPAP. Both treat the same underlying problem; they just do it differently. Here is a side-by-side look at how the two compare:

Many patients who have tried CPAP and struggled with it find oral appliance therapy easier to wear consistently. Consistent use is what makes any treatment effective, and a device that stays on your nightstand unused does not help. Dr. Zavari will help you determine which path fits your diagnosis and your life.

Getting Your Custom-Fitted Appliance

Once Dr. Zavari confirms that oral appliance therapy is appropriate for you, the process is straightforward. Digital impressions of your teeth and bite are taken at the office, with no trays or impression material required. Those records go to a dental lab, where your appliance is fabricated to fit your specific anatomy. When it arrives, you come back for a fitting appointment where Dr. Zavari seats the appliance, checks the fit and bite, and walks you through how to wear and care for it. Follow-up visits allow for fine-tuning as your jaw adapts.

Conditions We Treat Alongside Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea rarely shows up alone. Jaw tension, teeth grinding, and snoring often travel together, and addressing them as a connected picture tends to produce better results than treating each one separately.

Snoring and Snore Guards

Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but snoring is almost always a sign that the airway is partially obstructed during sleep. A custom snore guard works on the same principle as a sleep apnea appliance: it repositions the jaw to keep the airway open. For patients whose primary concern is snoring rather than diagnosed apnea, this can be a simple, effective solution. It uses the same precise digital impression process we apply to retainers and sports guards.

Bruxism (Teeth Grinding) and TMJ Therapy