Dentists Can Help With Problems of Sleep Apnea
Why should you see a dentist if you suffer from sleep apena?
Many of you have asked for some clarification as to what is the concern about snoring and/or sleep apnea, and sleep apnea treatment. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is an illness in which the soft tissues at the back of the throat completely close off the airway so that the air cannot flow into the lungs. In turn, this causes airway blockage and can lead to the reduction of oxygen reaching the brain and the other organs of the body. When this happens, the brain alerts the muscles of the airway to tighten up and unblock the air passage. When this occurs, a loud gasp or snort is usually heard and then breathing begins again. This process of blocking and unblocking the airway causes significant disruption of sleep and is referred as sleep apnea.
People with sleep apnia are suffering from air starvation every night, therefore reducing the quality of their life during the day. This air starvation leads to reduced alertness, difficulty learning, daytime sleepiness, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetic complications, impotency, and increased risk of traffic accidents. Many people with sleep apnea, also called OSA, will not or cannot wear their continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) devise and this is where we can be invaluable in the treatment of their disease. For this reason we work closely with our clients and their physicians to treat their OSA and have a profound affect on the long term quality of life for each individual.
You may be asking, “Why is my dentist the one treating my medical problem?” The fact of the matter is that it is because of our expertise with the teeth, tongue, jaws and jaw joints that the dentist is the best person to fit and follow up with the appliance. The dentist role in the treatment is not to diagnose and dictate treatment. At least when I am involved, it is your physician (whether it be your internist, ENT, sleep physician, pulmonologist or cardiologist) who will determine a sleep apnea treatment, my role is to make the correct appliance for you and then adjust it so that the best outcome is realized. This is why I believe it is very important to keep all of your specialists informed of what we are doing and how it is working for you.
Tags: Sleep Apnea, Sleep disturbances, snoring
April 1st, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Right on target not many poeple know that dentists can fabricate appliances that can make a great difference.
April 7th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
This would be so much easier to travel with than a CPAP.