Recognizing Sleep Apnea at Ellis Dental

At our St. Louis, MO office, Dr. Holly Ellis and her team at Ellis Dental use a series of tools and tests to recognize your sleep issues. 

The Overnight Sleep Test You Take in Your Own Home

Yes. No need to participate an expensive overnight sleep study away from your home involving multiple interruptions throughout the night.  Ellis Dental uses the ARES system which patients can take home and wear in the comfort of their own home and bed while being tested. The device is as easy to wear as a baseball cap and it records detailed information about sleep quality and any sleep related breathing events that may occur.

After your test, the device is returned to our St. Louis office and uploaded to our system. Dr. Ellis will then share the results with with a partner Board Certified Sleep Physician, discuss the analysis and provide you with their diagnosis. With the diagnosis in hand, the proper sleep apnea treatment therapy can be prescribed and custom developed for you. 

Testing your Oral and Nasal Airways

To measure your nasal and oral airways in our office, Ellis Dental uses the Eccovision Acoustic Pharyngometer / Rhinometer. This device sends sound waves into the airway and the reflected sound waves are measured by the machine and are used by Dr. Ellis to assess how large the airway is. The Rhinometer measures the nasal airway and the Pharyngometer measures the oral airway. Both systems are FDA approved and are a highly effective way for Ellis Dental to identify the site and severity of airway collapse as it relates to snoring and sleep related breathing problems.