Sleep Apnea Dentist in San Francisco

If CPAP isn't working for you — or you never got past the mask — a sleep apnea dentist can offer a comfortable, mask-free alternative. Dr. Amin Samadian, DDS, practices dental sleep medicine at the San Francisco Center for TMJ & Sleep Apnea, treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea with a custom oral appliance, in coordination with your sleep physician. Call 415-570-2841 to book at 450 Sutter St.

What a sleep apnea dentist does

Dental sleep medicine treats sleep-disordered breathing with an appliance instead of a machine. Your sleep physician makes the diagnosis from a sleep study; the dentist designs, fits, and fine-tunes a custom oral appliance that holds your lower jaw slightly forward so the airway stays open through the night. It's a recognized treatment for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea — and the go-to option for people who can't tolerate CPAP.

Why patients look for a CPAP alternative

• The mask feels claustrophobic or won't stay sealed
• The hose and machine disrupt sleep or travel
• Noise or dryness makes CPAP hard to stick with
• Snoring is straining a relationship, even after trying CPAP

A custom oral appliance is small, quiet, and easy to travel with — and because it's fitted from impressions of your teeth, most patients adjust within a couple of weeks. Learn more about the CPAP-intolerance options we offer.

Do you need a sleep study first?

Yes — a sleep apnea diagnosis and its severity come from a sleep study interpreted by a physician, and appliance therapy is based on that result. If you haven't been tested, start with a consultation and we'll help arrange a home sleep test through the appropriate medical channel. If you've already been diagnosed, bring your results and we can move toward fitting.

Why choose Dr. Samadian

Dr. Samadian focuses on dental sleep medicine and TMJ disorders — a combination that matters, because jaw position, bite, and airway are connected. He's a Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain who taught at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, and appliances are crafted with our in-house lab for precise fit. That means your airway and your bite are considered together, not in isolation.

What to expect

1. Consultation & airway review — we review your sleep study (or help arrange testing) and examine your jaw, bite, and airway.
2. Custom appliance — fitted from precise impressions and adjusted for comfort and effect.
3. Follow-up & verification — we confirm the appliance is working, coordinating with your physician.

Oral appliance therapy is usually billed to medical insurance rather than dental, because it treats a medical condition. Our team reviews your benefits before treatment begins.

Book a sleep apnea dentist in San Francisco

Serving San Francisco and the Bay Area from 450 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94108. Same-week consultations are often available. Call 415-570-2841 or request an appointment online.

Reconstruction-grade TMJ & airway care — with our own lab

Most dentists treat TMJ symptoms. Dr. Samadian is a reconstructive and cosmetic dentist who specializes in dental reconstruction for TMJ and airway patients — which means care doesn't stop at managing pain; it can go all the way to rebuilding a bite that years of grinding and joint strain have worn down. He is also one of the few in Northern California with an in-house lab, so orthotics and appliances are designed, crafted, and refined under one roof rather than shipped to a third-party lab.

His integrated method moves through four stages, each matched to what your CT imaging and exam actually show:

1. Diagnose — CT-based imaging of the jaw joints and airway; no guesswork.
2. Decompress & stabilize — custom orthotics from our own lab, regenerative PRF therapy, and Botox for overworked jaw muscles.
3. Develop the airway — NightLase laser therapy, MSE palatal expansion and orthodontics, and oral appliance therapy.
4. Reconstruct — when teeth have paid the price of years of clenching, full bite reconstruction restores function and esthetics together.

The symptom list we treat is long because the jaw–airway system touches all of it: locked jaw, clicking and popping, jaw deviation, grinding and clenching, ear pain and ringing, headaches and migraines, neck and shoulder pain, and snoring.