First Appointment

Please bring with you:

Your referral slip, if referred by medical doctor 
X-rays, CT scans, MRI films, or Sleep studies 
A list of your current medical prescriptions

If you have had a previous sleep study please bring a copy to your appointment or have your physician email a copy to info@healthysleepcarolina.com or fax to 843-884-1140 prior to your consultation.
If you have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea we will refer you to a sleep specialist for proper diagnosis prior to treatment.
Sleep apnea can only be diagnosed by a medical doctor. Dr. Dahlkemper will perform a pre-screening, and she works closely with reputable sleep centers and doctors throughout the Charleston area for a full diagnosis.
Treating snoring and sleep apnea requires a team approach. The first step in being treated for snoring or obstructive sleep apnea is to obtain an evaluation by a sleep physician who will provide a formal diagnosis usually based on a medical sleep study. This study can be done at home, in a hospital or private office sleep center. 

- The first appointment will involve a discussion of the problem, the advantages and limitations of oral appliance therapy in your case, and potential side effects. We will also complete a brief oral examination to determine if your teeth, gums and bone are healthy enough to support an oral appliance.  We will determine whether you are a good candidate for oral appliance therapy and which appliance will be most effective.
- If you choose to proceed with the therapy, a simple in-home baseline sleep study may be done initially. This will be compared to a second study done once the appliance is thought to be effective. Impressions will be taken for the appliance.

After the selected appliance is fabricated, you will return for a custom-fitting and instructions on use and care of the oral appliance. After that you will return for approximately two more times for follow-up visits to monitor the effect of the appliance and to make any necessary adjustments. The effectiveness will judged by resolution of your subjective symptoms (snoring and daytime sleepiness) and a second simple in-home dental sleep study.

When the snoring and tiredness have been resolved and the second in-home dental sleep study shows good improvement, you will be referred back to your sleep physician for final evaluation. 

-Our office will schedule you for an annual assessment. These routine visits are an important part of your long-term treatment success to ensure adequate treatment and monitor any possible side effects.

Once a patient is fitted with an oral appliance, follow up sleep testing is recommended to ensure the efficacy of the appliance in treating the patient’s apnea.

A plan for follow up appointments with sleep physicians and dentists should be developed in order to ensure patient’s ongoing successful treatment.