Treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) does more than help you sleep. Because untreated OSA forces your body through repeated cycles of oxygen loss and stress-hormone release every night, the effects reach far beyond tiredness. They touch your heart, your weight, your mood, and your ability to stay safe behind the wheel. Treating OSA gives your body a real chance to recover from all of it.
At Newport Beach Dental Center, Dr. Laura Sharbash, DDS, FAGD, D.ABDSM, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine — the credentialing body for dentists who provide oral appliance therapy for OSA. She works with sleep physicians to make sure every patient has an accurate diagnosis before treatment begins.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
OSA is a sleep disorder in which the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing breathing to stop, sometimes dozens or even hundreds of times per night. Each time it happens, oxygen levels drop, and the brain briefly wakes the body to restart breathing. Most people have no memory of these disruptions, but they feel them all day. OSA affects roughly 1 in 3 men and nearly 1 in 6 women in the U.S., according to the Journal of the American Heart Association, and a significant proportion of those cases are never diagnosed. If you snore, wake up with headaches or a dry mouth, or feel exhausted despite a full night in bed, OSA is worth ruling out.
1. Better Heart Health
How Does Untreated OSA Affect the Heart?
Every time your airway closes during sleep, your heart works harder. Over time, that nightly stress adds up. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that untreated OSA more than doubles the risk of heart failure, increases stroke risk by 60%, and raises the risk of coronary heart disease by 30%. Treating OSA reduces that nightly strain, and studies consistently show improvements in blood pressure and heart function in patients who stick with treatment.
2. More Energy and Mental Clarity
The fatigue from OSA isn’t just about missing sleep — it’s about missing the right kind of sleep. OSA repeatedly pulls you out of the deep, restorative stages your brain needs to function well. The result is a persistent mental fog that makes it harder to concentrate, remember things, and think clearly. Many patients say the cognitive improvement after starting treatment is one of the most noticeable changes they experience — tasks that used to feel overwhelming start feeling manageable again, often within the first few weeks.
3. Better Metabolic Health
OSA and conditions like type 2 diabetes are closely connected. The repeated oxygen drops during sleep interfere with how your body manages blood sugar, and the ongoing sleep disruption affects appetite-regulating hormones in ways that make weight management harder. For people already managing diabetes, treating OSA often makes blood sugar control more consistent. For everyone else, it removes a physiological obstacle that can quietly work against diet and exercise efforts.
4. Improved Mood and Mental Health
Chronic sleep disruption and depression have a well-documented relationship, and OSA is one of the most common causes of chronic sleep disruption that goes unrecognized. Many people with untreated OSA live with persistent irritability, low mood, or anxiety for years without connecting it to their sleep. When treatment works, the mood shift is often noticeable. Patients frequently report that people around them notice the change before they do. OSA also shares inflammatory pathways with conditions like gum disease, which is another reason a comprehensive dental evaluation is a useful starting point for people with unexplained fatigue or mood changes.
5. Safer Days
Untreated OSA creates a level of daytime impairment that research has compared to driving under the influence of alcohol. Reaction time slows, situational awareness drops, and the ability to sustain focus—all the things that matter when you’re driving or operating equipment—deteriorates. Treating OSA and resolving daytime sleepiness restores those functions. For patients in physically demanding or safety-critical jobs, effective treatment isn’t just a health benefit; it’s a practical necessity.
OSA Treatment at Newport Beach Dental Center
Our team is proud to offer comprehensive treatment for OSA
What Is Oral Appliance Therapy?
Oral appliance therapy is a custom-fitted device worn during sleep that gently repositions the lower jaw to keep the airway open. It’s quiet, travel-friendly, and requires no electricity, a practical alternative for patients who can’t tolerate a CPAP machine. The device is fitted to your specific anatomy and fine-tuned over follow-up visits, with sleep testing to confirm it’s working. Patients who grind their teeth may also benefit from a combined approach. The practice provides custom nightguards for bruxism, which frequently co-occurs with OSA.
How Does It Compare to CPAP?
CPAP is the gold standard for severe OSA, but studies consistently show that between 30% and 50% of patients prescribed CPAP don’t use it consistently enough to get the full benefit. For mild to moderate OSA, or for anyone who has tried CPAP and given up, oral appliance therapy is a well-supported, evidence-based alternative. Dr. Sharbash evaluates each case individually and coordinates with your sleep physician on the right path forward.
Find Out If OSA Treatment Is Right for You
If you’ve been diagnosed with OSA and are struggling with CPAP or if you suspect you might have OSA and haven’t been evaluated yet contact Newport Beach Dental Center to schedule a consultation. As a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Dr. Sharbash has both the training and the specialist relationships that effective OSA care requires. The office is at 1441 Avocado Ave, Suite 606, Newport Beach, CA 92660.
