Our comprehensive Sleep and Airway Program uses state-of-the-art dental technology to evaluate and treat sleep-disordered breathing. Our comprehensive approach incorporates multiple therapy modalities. Not every patient requires each modality. We customize each treatment plan based on the clinical findings specific to the patient.
Enrolling in our Airway Program requires a comprehensive sleep study completed within the last 12 months. If you do not have one, we offer a comprehensive at-home sleep study that you can complete in the privacy of your own home. Once the doctor has reviewed the results of the sleep study, we will schedule a clinical exam and develop a treatment plan based on the totality of the findings.
The modalities used in our Airway Program can include a comprehensive sleep study, NightLase laser therapy, oral appliance therapy, myofunctional therapy, tongue-tie release, and aligner therapy.
A sleep study is a painless, overnight diagnostic test that electronically records your body's activity while you sleep. It is used to evaluate sleep stages, detect breathing disruptions, and help diagnose conditions such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and insomnia.
The sleep study unit we use is the Zmachine. The Zmachine is an FDA-cleared, at-home sleep-testing device developed by General Sleep Corporation. It is used to monitor brain activity and breathing patterns overnight to help detect and diagnose sleep-disordered breathing.
Unlike many basic home sleep tests that only measure physical movement or oxygen levels, the Zmachine collects comprehensive clinical data more like an in-lab sleep study. It monitors nine key metrics using:
Patients typically undergo a Zmachine test as a more comfortable, convenient, and cost-effective alternative to spending a night in a clinical sleep laboratory. The addition of brainwave monitoring helps ensure that breathing events are calculated based on actual time asleep rather than total recording time, helping support more accurate results.
You pick up the unit at our office and receive brief training on how to use it. When you are ready for bed, you wear the Zmachine in your own bed. The recorded data is then uploaded through the system software, scored by the device's algorithms, and reviewed by a board-certified sleep physician who provides a final diagnosis and treatment plan.
After the sleep study and clinical exam, Dr. Bleeker may recommend one or more of the following therapies based on the patient's findings. Each option addresses a different part of breathing, airway stability, oral structure, or muscle function.
NightLase is a non-invasive laser therapy used to reduce snoring and alleviate mild sleep apnea. It applies gentle laser energy to the soft palate, floor of the mouth, tongue, and tissues at the back of the throat. This controlled heat stimulates collagen production and helps tighten the tissues that can vibrate during sleep.
A standard course includes five sessions spaced four weeks apart, with each visit lasting approximately 30 to 45 minutes. The treatment requires no anesthesia, incisions, or surgical recovery time. Dr. Bleeker evaluates the airway and soft tissues to determine whether a patient may be a good candidate.
NightLase is one possible component of the Sleep and Airway Program. The recommendation depends on the sleep-study results, clinical findings, and the other therapies that may be appropriate.
An oral sleep appliance is a custom-fitted mouthpiece, similar to a retainer, worn at night to treat snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. It helps prevent airway collapse by holding the teeth apart and positioning the tongue against the roof of the mouth, allowing air to flow more freely.
The oral appliance we use is the Homeoblock. The Homeoblock is a custom, removable oral appliance designed to naturally reshape the upper jaw. Worn primarily at night, it aims to improve facial symmetry, widen the smile, relieve TMJ discomfort, and enhance breathing by gently signaling the body's genes to grow and remodel bone.
Rather than forcing teeth into a new position, the Homeoblock uses the body's biology and natural genetics to encourage dentofacial development.
Many patients use the Homeoblock protocol to target structural and aesthetic goals, including:
Treatment typically requires oversight by an airway-focused dentist. The device is worn overnight and occasionally for a few hours during the day, if needed.
Myofunctional therapy is essentially physical therapy for the mouth, face, and neck. It involves targeted daily exercises designed to retrain and strengthen the muscles of the tongue, lips, and jaw to promote proper resting posture, nasal breathing, chewing, and swallowing.
The therapy is used to correct orofacial myofunctional disorders, which are abnormal muscle-movement patterns in the face and mouth. Key goals include:
We prescribe myofunctional therapy sessions when a patient is undergoing a frenectomy procedure.
Myofunctional therapy is often prescribed by dentists, orthodontists, and speech-language pathologists to address several concerns:
Treatment programs are highly individualized. A typical course lasts approximately four to 12 months and requires a few minutes of dedicated daily exercise. When practiced consistently, neuromuscular re-education can provide long-lasting benefits.
A tongue-tie release, or frenectomy, is a minimally invasive procedure that removes the restrictive band of tissue tethering the tongue to the floor of the mouth. It is designed to restore full tongue mobility and improve feeding, speech, and oral hygiene.
For adults, a tongue-tie release can improve speech articulation, eating mechanics, and airway development by promoting proper resting posture of the tongue.
Dr. Bleeker uses a medical laser to release the lingual frenum. We use the Fotona Laser for the frenectomy procedure. It reduces bleeding and post-procedure discomfort and promotes faster healing.
Recovery is typically uneventful. You will work with a myofunctional therapist before and after the procedure to support proper healing and tongue function.
Complications are rare, but minor bleeding, swelling, and soreness are common following the procedure and may last for a few days.
Aligner therapy for palatal expansion is a way to widen the upper jaw. It can correct crowded teeth and crossbites and provide more room for the tongue against the roof of the mouth. Therapy uses a series of custom, 3D-printed clear trays to apply gentle, consistent pressure to the teeth.
We prescribe this therapy based on clinical findings such as crowded teeth, a narrow arch form, and a deep overbite. We take measurements and photographs to document the starting and finishing points. We will be happy to assess your situation to determine whether this therapy may help your breathing and sleep quality.
An evaluation may be helpful for adults experiencing regular snoring, mild sleep apnea, mouth breathing, jaw discomfort, restricted tongue movement, crowded teeth, or a narrow arch form. The sleep study and clinical exam help Dr. Bleeker determine which findings are related and whether one or more therapies may be appropriate.
Yes. Enrollment requires a comprehensive sleep study completed within the last 12 months. If you do not have a recent study, our office offers an at-home sleep-study option.
Yes. The at-home study is available through our office for patients who need current sleep data before their clinical examination and personalized treatment planning.
No. Not every patient requires every modality. Dr. Bleeker reviews the sleep-study results and completes a clinical examination before recommending the treatments that fit the patient's findings.
A standard course includes five sessions spaced four weeks apart. Each appointment typically lasts 30 to 45 minutes.
Yes. Depending on the clinical findings, a plan may combine sleep testing, NightLase, oral appliance therapy, myofunctional therapy, tongue-tie release, and aligner therapy.
