Your First Visit: What to Expect
Starting care for sleep apnea or snoring can feel like a big step. At Dental Sleep Medicine of Charlotte, our goal is to make it simple and comfortable — and to guide you toward the right oral appliance so you can sleep and feel better.
Here’s exactly how your first visits will go, and how we partner with your physicians to support long-term success.
Step 1: Initial Phone Call
During your first call, our team will take a brief sleep and health history and answer any questions. If you already have a sleep study or a referral, we’ll request those records. If not, we can request the information we need directly from your referring physician or sleep medicine doctor so you don’t have to track it down.
Step 2: Sleep Appliance Consultation with Dr. Sudikoff
We’ll schedule you for a dedicated oral appliance consultation with Dr. Kathryn Sudikoff. At this visit we will:
- Discuss your concerns, goals, and day-to-day symptoms.
- Evaluate your oral health, TMJ function, jaw alignment, and teeth.
- Review oral appliance options and guide you to the one that best fits your anatomy, lifestyle, and sleep study findings.
Our priority is your comfort and success — you’ll leave with a clear plan and timeline.
Step 3: Custom Fitting & Titration
Once you’re ready to proceed, we take digital scans or impressions to fabricate your custom device. Oral appliances are titrated (fine-tuned) for maximum improvement and comfort.
Visit cadence: Expect up to 4 total visits during this process (initial fit plus follow-ups) to dial in your results. We adjust as needed to optimize sleep quality, snoring reduction, and adherence.
Step 4: Ongoing Care & Physician Communication
We continually communicate with your physicians and sleep medicine doctor so they stay up to date on your progress and outcomes. After your appliance is stabilized, we’ll see you annually (or sooner if needed) to make sure you’re still doing great, review appliance wear, and plan maintenance or replacements over time.