What is obstructive sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. In obstructive sleep apnea, the throat muscles relax, causing the airway to narrow or completely close off. When your brain senses this disruption in breathing, it rouses you from sleep, so briefly that you don’t fully wake up, in order to reopen your airway.
Most people with obstructive sleep apnea snore loudly or make choking or gasping sounds, and because sleep is disrupted throughout the night, these people often don’t feel rested after a night’s sleep.
What is the MATRx test?
MATRx is a test carried out in a sleep lab that helps a physician more accurately prescribe oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. It also helps determine if you are a good candidate for this type of therapy.
How does the MATRx test work?
During the MATRx test, patients are fitted with temporary dental trays that are attached to a small, remote-controlled device. A sleep technician will gently move the patient’s lower jaw in small increments while they sleep. The test results will tell the physician if an oral appliance is right for the patient and the exact jaw position needed to treat the sleep apnea.
How do oral appliances work to treat obstructive sleep apnea?
An oral appliance is a fairly simple solution to sleep apnea, but it can be extremely effective. The appliance holds a patient’s lower jaw forward during sleep, which opens the airway. With MATRx, a physician can collect highly accurate data about a patient’s jaw position and create a custom-fit appliance.
Benefits of the MATRx test
- Reliable prediction test
- Provides your doctor with accurate data
- Custom-fit oral appliances can be made specifically for you
- Can eliminate unnecessary expense
