In this collection · Sleep & Airway
Sleep Screening & Sleep Testing
Better answers start with better information.
Most people describe their sleep from memory. Screening looks at what actually happens across a night at home — quietly, in your own bed — so the conversation starts with patterns instead of guesses.
Screening is a starting point. It is not a diagnosis.
Please read this first
Screening identifies patterns. It is not a diagnosis.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical diagnosis, made by a physician on the basis of medically ordered and medically interpreted testing. When a diagnosis is needed, screening results can be shared with your physician, or we can refer you to a sleep physician.
Why screen
Information changes the conversation.
01
Patterns, not guesses
Many people describe their nights from memory. Screening replaces recollection with observation gathered while you actually sleep, in your own bed.
02
Direction for the conversation
Information helps us decide together whether a medical sleep evaluation is worth pursuing — or whether the picture points somewhere else entirely.
03
A starting point, not an answer
Screening can indicate patterns that warrant evaluation. It does not tell you what you have, and it is not the basis for a diagnosis.
04
Fewer assumptions
Snoring, tiredness and restless nights have many possible contributors. Looking before assuming keeps us from treating the wrong thing.
The comparison that matters
Screening and diagnosis are two different things.
Screening
What we can do in a dental setting
- Gathers general information across one or more nights at home
- Looks for patterns that may warrant further evaluation
- Helps decide whether a medical referral makes sense
- Is not a diagnosis and cannot rule sleep apnea in or out
- Is not interpreted as a medical test result by our office
Diagnosis
What belongs with a physician
- Obstructive sleep apnea is a medical diagnosis
- Made by a physician, commonly a sleep physician
- Based on medically ordered and medically interpreted testing
- Determines severity and what treatment is medically indicated
- Directs whether therapy such as CPAP is prescribed or changed
At-home screening
A small device, worn while you sleep normally.
In general terms, screening looks at a handful of measures across the night. It is not a diagnostic instrument, and we do not read it as one.
Pulse
Heart rate through the night, recorded as a general pattern rather than a clinical measurement.
Oxygen saturation
General blood oxygen readings across the night, which can show whether levels appear steady or variable.
Movement
How much you move while asleep — one of the simplest indicators of a restless versus settled night.
Night-to-night patterns
How those measures compare across nights, since a single night rarely represents how you usually sleep.
Night to night
One night is a snapshot. A pattern is more useful.
Sleep is not the same every night. Congestion, alcohol, illness, stress, position and simple bad luck all shift how a single night looks. Information gathered across more than one night gives a steadier sense of what is typical for you.
Even then, the result describes patterns rather than a condition. How many nights are appropriate depends on your situation, and we tell you what to expect before you take anything home.
How it works
Five steps, with no assumptions along the way.
01
Conversation
We start with what you have noticed — snoring, waking unrested, nighttime waking, morning headaches, jaw tension — and with any medical history or testing you already have.
02
Screening at home
If screening is appropriate, you take a small wearable device home and sleep normally. Nothing about your routine needs to change for the information to be useful.
03
Review together
We look at the general patterns with you and explain plainly what they can and cannot suggest. We do not interpret screening as a medical test result.
04
Referral when it is warranted
When the picture suggests medical evaluation, results can be shared with, or you can be referred to, a sleep physician for diagnosis.
05
Coordinated next steps
If a diagnosis is made, any dental role — such as oral appliance therapy — follows the physician’s direction rather than replacing it.
Come prepared
What to bring to your visit.
None of this is required. All of it makes the conversation more useful.
- Any previous sleep study results or reports you have
- A list of current medications and relevant medical history
- The name of your physician or sleep physician, if you have one
- Notes on what a partner or family member has observed at night
- Details of any current therapy, including CPAP settings if you use one
- Questions you want answered before anything is recommended
Follow-up
The screening only matters if someone follows up.
Screening is a beginning
Information only helps if someone acts on it. A screening that is never reviewed, discussed or followed up changes nothing about your health.
Verification matters more than the number
When patterns suggest something worth evaluating, the meaningful step is medical verification — not a conclusion drawn from a wearable.
Reassessment over time
Sleep changes with weight, age, nasal congestion, medication and stress. What was true a few years ago may not describe your nights now.
We follow up
We will tell you clearly what we saw, what it might mean, and what the next step is — including when the honest answer is that nothing further is needed here.
Alpine, Utah
Sleep screening for Utah County adults.
Alpine Airway Wellness serves adults from Alpine, Highland, American Fork, Lehi, Cedar Hills, Pleasant Grove, Draper and throughout Utah County who want a clearer starting point for a sleep conversation — with honest boundaries about what belongs with a physician.
Questions
Questions we hear about screening and testing.
Is sleep screening the same as a sleep study?
Can you diagnose sleep apnea?
What does the at-home device measure?
How many nights do I wear it?
Is it uncomfortable to wear?
Do I need a referral to be screened?
What happens if the screening shows something?
What if the screening looks normal but I still feel exhausted?
Should I stop my CPAP while screening?
Does screening replace my physician?
Why would a dental office be involved in sleep at all?
My partner says I snore. Is that enough reason to screen?
How much does screening cost, and is it covered?
What should I bring to the appointment?
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Brittany Johansen. This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan.
We see patients at our Alpine, Utah office, including families from Highland, Cedar Hills, American Fork, Lehi and across Utah County.
Related care
Where screening leads next.
Snoring
Why snoring happens, how it differs from sleep apnea, and what an evaluation actually looks at.
Learn more about snoring and its causes →Adult Sleep & Airway
The wider picture of how breathing, sleep and dental structure fit together for adults.
Explore Sleep & Airway Care →Oral Appliance Therapy
A custom device for snoring and, in appropriate cases, physician-diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea.
Explore Oral Appliance Therapy →Alternatives to CPAP
A balanced look at the options discussed when CPAP is not working, with your physician still directing care.
Explore CPAP Alternatives →NightLase®
A non-invasive laser option aimed at snoring in selected patients. Not a treatment for sleep apnea.
Explore NightLase →Adult Expansion
When arch width and tongue space are part of the structural conversation for adults.
Explore Adult Expansion →Myofunctional Therapy
Exercise-based support for tongue posture, lip seal and breathing patterns.
Explore Myofunctional Therapy →Ready to replace guesswork with information?
A consultation in Alpine, Utah is where it starts. We’ll listen to what you’ve noticed, explain whether screening is appropriate, and be clear about what it can and cannot tell you.