Sleep apnea, snoring & TMJ treatment in Wichita, KSSnoring isn’t sexy. Or healthy.
Wichita sleep dentist Dr. Sheri Love treats sleep apnea and snoring with a custom oral appliance you wear like a mouthguard. No mask, no machine, and many patients sleep better from the very first night.
- Since 1996Dr. Love has practiced dentistry in Wichita
- AADSMQualified provider, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
- Physician-partneredWe work with sleep doctors, PCPs and ENTs
- 3D digital scansCBCT and intraoral scans, no putty impressions
Free sleep apnea screener
Do I have sleep apnea?
Eight yes-or-no questions from STOP-Bang, the screener hospitals and sleep physicians use. It takes about two minutes.
- Your answers stay on your screen
- See your score and what it means right away
- Attach your result to a consultation request
How the appliance works
A few millimeters forward. A wide-open airway.
When you fall asleep, your jaw relaxes and your tongue slides back toward your throat. The airway narrows and vibrates, which is the snore. In sleep apnea it closes completely, over and over. The appliance holds your lower jaw gently forward, so the tongue comes with it and the airway stays open.
Scanned in 3D
Dr. Love captures your teeth and jaw with digital scans. No trays of putty.
Made for your bite
Your appliance is custom-made to fit you exactly, and it’s thin enough to talk and sip water.
Tuned over time
Over a few visits she adjusts it a fraction of a millimeter at a time until the snoring and symptoms are gone.
Night replay
What really happens while you’re “sleeping.”
Watch eight hours in fourteen seconds. Then flip the switch and see the same night with a custom appliance holding the airway open.
Illustration of a typical pattern for moderate obstructive sleep apnea, not a real patient’s data. Your sleep test shows your own numbers.
CPAP alternative
The best treatment is the one you’ll actually wear.
CPAP works well when it’s used. The trouble is that many people prescribed CPAP stop using it, or wear it only part of the night. For mild to moderate sleep apnea, and for anyone who can’t tolerate a mask, sleep medicine guidelines recommend a custom oral appliance. See the research →
| CPAP machine | Love Sleep oral appliance | |
|---|---|---|
| What you wear | A mask over your nose or mouth, a hose and a bedside machine | A slim custom mouthpiece |
| Noise | Constant airflow and motor hum | Silent |
| Sleeping position | The hose and mask can limit side and stomach sleeping | Sleep any way you like |
| Travel | A carry-on bag, plus power and distilled water | Fits in a pocket, no power needed |
| Daily upkeep | Clean the mask, hose and water chamber, and replace parts on a schedule | Brush and rinse it each morning |
| Best for | Severe sleep apnea, and anyone who sleeps well with it | Snoring, mild to moderate sleep apnea, and CPAP users who can’t tolerate the mask |
Some patients with severe sleep apnea use both: CPAP at home and the appliance for travel. Dr. Love and your sleep physician will recommend what fits your diagnosis.
Signs and risks
Tired all day, no matter how long you sleep?
Sleep apnea pauses your breathing for ten seconds or more, dozens or even hundreds of times a night. Most people never remember waking up. Check the signs that sound familiar.
Common symptoms
Check any that apply to you or your partner.
What untreated sleep apnea can do
Higher risk of heart arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation.
Higher risk of heart failure.
Higher risk of coronary heart disease.
Linked to stroke, high blood pressure, depression and drowsy-driving accidents.
Figures from the Sleep Heart Health Study (Shahar 2001, Mehra 2006). Sleep apnea is treatable, which is why treating it matters. More about sleep apnea →
Your path to better sleep
From first call to a full night’s sleep.
- Step 1
Sleep test
You’ll need a sleep study and a physician’s prescription. Already have one? Bring it. If not, we can order a home sleep test.
At home, one night - Step 2
Consultation
Meet Dr. Love to go over your sleep, your results and your options. She checks your jaw joint and bite too.
About an hour - Step 3
3D scans
A quick CBCT scan and a digital scan of your teeth. Both are fast and comfortable.
Same visit or next - Step 4
Fit and fine-tune
Your appliance is fitted, then adjusted over follow-up visits. A follow-up sleep test confirms it’s working.
Wear it that night
Meet your sleep dentist
Dr. Sheri Love
Dr. Love has practiced dentistry in Wichita since 1996 and has spent the past 15 years training with the leaders in her field: the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Steven Olmos of TMJ & Sleep Therapy Centre International, the Dawson Academy and the Kois Center. That depth is why she treats the airway, the bite and the jaw joint as one connected system, not three separate problems.
She doesn’t run sleep studies herself. She works alongside sleep physicians, primary care doctors and ENTs, and partners with a local sleep physician who shares her focus. That’s why physicians across Wichita send their patients to her.
- AADSM qualified provider
- Dr. Steven Olmos
- Dawson Academy
- Kois Center
For the one lying awake
Here because of someone else’s snoring?
Partners are often the first to notice the pauses and the gasping. One patient told us: “Wife says I don’t gasp for air anymore. It kept her awake at times, now she is getting better sleep also.” Send them this page and the quiz.
TMJ care
Jaw pain, clenching and headaches often share a cause.
Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jaw to your skull. When it’s strained, the pain can show up in surprising places. Dr. Love evaluates the joint at every consultation, and a custom appliance can relieve TMJ symptoms while you sleep. TMJ treatment →
Life after the snore
What a full night of sleep buys you.
Treating sleep apnea isn’t only about the numbers on a sleep test. It’s the mornings, the trips and the person on the other side of the bed.
Patient stories
In their words.
“My pulmonologist referred me for a mouth guard device that would do the same thing as a CPAP. I have been wearing it for a month and it is wonderful. It is so much less upkeep and definitely more comfortable.”
“They made a mouthpiece that has greatly improved my sleeping. Wife says I don’t gasp for air anymore. I highly recommend their office for your sleep apnea problems.”
For physicians
Your CPAP-intolerant patients have another option.
Sleep physicians, PCPs and ENTs refer to Love Sleep for oral appliance therapy. We handle the dental side and keep you informed, so no patient falls through the cracks.
- 01
Consult summary back to you after the first visit, with the treatment plan.
- 02
Home sleep testing coordinated for patients who haven’t been diagnosed yet.
- 03
Medical insurance billing handled by our office.
Treatment
Everything we treat, in one place.
Dental sleep medicine is all Dr. Love does here. Pick a topic to see how she treats it.
Areas we serve
Patients come from across the Wichita area.
Our office is on East 21st Street North in Wichita. Most patients only make the drive a handful of times, and the sleep test happens at home.
Also serving Augusta, Newton, Kechi, Valley Center, Rose Hill, Mulvane and Eastborough. See every area we serve →
Questions
What patients ask first.
Something else on your mind? Call the office at 316-440-9700.
Can an oral appliance replace my CPAP?
For many people with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, and for people who can’t tolerate CPAP, yes. Sleep medicine guidelines recommend a custom oral appliance for these patients. Dr. Love works with your sleep physician to confirm it’s right for you, and a follow-up sleep test checks the results.
Do I need a sleep study first?
Yes. Oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea needs a diagnosis and a physician’s prescription. If you haven’t had a sleep study, we can order a home sleep test for you. If you only snore, Dr. Love can still help, but we’ll want to rule out sleep apnea first.
Is it covered by insurance?
Oral appliance therapy for diagnosed sleep apnea is usually billed to your medical insurance, not your dental plan. With the proper information, as a courtesy we will file all applicable insurance for you.
How long until I have my appliance?
After your consultation and scans, your custom appliance is usually ready in a few weeks. Then come a few short follow-up visits to fine-tune it.
Is it uncomfortable?
Most patients adjust within a few nights. Some notice mild jaw or tooth tenderness in the morning at first, which usually fades within minutes of taking the appliance out. Dr. Love adjusts the fit so it stays comfortable.
Will it help my TMJ?
Custom appliances can also be used to manage TMJ symptoms like jaw pain, clenching and headaches. Dr. Love evaluates your jaw joint at every consultation and designs your appliance with it in mind.
What if I only snore?
Snoring is often the first sign of a narrowing airway. An appliance can quiet it, but because snoring and sleep apnea look alike from the outside, we’ll help you get tested first so nothing is missed.
Call or visit
316-440-9700
10111 E 21st St N, Suite 102
Wichita, KS 67206
- Mon, Tue, Thu
- 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Friday
- 7:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Wed, Sat, Sun
- Closed
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