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Our Qualifications
Jonathan Hale, DDS offers dental sleep medicine services to the people of Northeastern Indiana and Ohio. He has been practicing general dentistry for nearly a decade and specializes in sleep apnea treatments using oral appliances since 2019. He was trained by the international educators and leaders in the field by traveling nationwide for hands-on training, seminars, and even a mini-residency program. He is currently working on his Mastery Certificate with the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM).
Sleep and Oral Health
You may be thinking…a dentist can treat sleep apnea? Yes, it’s true! Dr. Jonathan Hale can treat sleep apnea and sleep disorders with a custom-made oral appliance. Both adults and children who suffer from sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, TMD, and TMJ can benefit.
Standards of Excellence
Treating sleep apnea isn’t about just making an oral appliance and sending you on your way. Dr. Hale and the team at Hale Family Dentistry use the most advanced tools in the industry to create a treatment plan customized to you. We often work alongside primary physicians and sleep physicians at Lutheran and Parkview Health to ensure complete communication and thoroughness each step along the way.
Making a dental appliance for sleep apnea requires extensive knowledge of muscles, jaws, positioning, and how it relates to TMD and TMJ. Many general dentists have never been trained in such procedures. Sleep apnea oral appliances must be precise and durable. We’ve seen many run-of-the-mill oral appliances delivered in Fort Wayne that we would not recommend. We pride ourselves on providing durable, high-quality oral appliances that will be functional, durable, and effective.
Why Chose Dr. Hale to Treat Sleep Apnea?
- Dr. Jonathan Hale was one of the first dentists in Fort Wayne to become a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.
- Using tools such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the STOP-BANG assessment, Jonathan Hale D.D.S. can quickly determine a person’s likelihood of having a sleep disorder.
- Hale Family Dentistry can also make referrals to at-home sleep studies or inpatient sleep studies.
- Our dentist office can bill your medical insurance for treatment, and even get an estimate beforehand!
How does an Oral Appliance Treat Sleep Apnea?
Oral appliance therapy (OAT) uses a mouth guard-like device worn only during sleep to maintain an open, unobstructed airway. OAT devices prevent the airway from collapsing by supporting the jaw in a forward position. For many, oral appliance devices are more comfortable to wear than a CPAP mask. The devices are also quiet, portable and easy to care for.
If you do not have sleep apnea, but need an oral appliance for snoring we can help you with that, too!
Higher patient compliance rate than CPAP
Dr. Hale is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM), the only non-profit professional association dedicated exclusively to the practice of dental sleep medicine. If you or someone you know could have sleep apnea, give our office a call today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dental benefits do not cover oral appliance therapy (OAT) because it’s a medical code (E0486) rather than a dental billing code. Medicare and commercial insurance providers generally have coverage for sleep related breathing disorders management, such as OAT due to the signficant health consequences is carries.
Additionally, obstrucive sleep apnea is a medical diagnosis. Dentists do not have the creditentials to diagnose medical disorders. They can, however, “treat” or help maintain the sleep disorders with such as OSA with effective options. Just as a primary care doctor will refer someone for cruches or a wheelchair, they can do the same with an mouthpeice for sleep apnea. It is covered by medical insurance under Durable Medical Equipment (DME) criteria.
To treat sleep apnea with OAT, an AADSM dentist will follow specific protocols to ensure that highest level of care is given. This may include obtaining a proper documentation from a medical or sleep physician, having an up-to-date sleep study, and other files to submit with your claim.
The cost for oral appliance therapy ranges from about $1,500 up to as much as $5,000 or more. There is such a wide range because there are a lot of options on the market for sleep solutions and the cost of those services often reflect the quality of care that is given.
It’s always best to ask questions, ask if the dentist submits to medical insurance and how they do it. And be wary of providers who say they will submit to insurance without working with your physician. Submitting to medical insurance is easy, but getting the oral appliance covered requires more steps and thoroughness.