0 Shares

It was the most extreme case Dr. Ryan Bond had ever come across. The middle-aged dental patient had sleep apnea to such a degree that every morning he was nauseous. “It wasn’t uncommon for him to even vomit a few times a week,” says Bond. “Many mornings he felt ill, and was tired throughout the day. He had a hard time waking up and feeling like himself.”

After just one night of wearing an oral appliance provided by Cramer & Bond Dentistry, the man knew something was different. “Several weeks later he told us it was the most profound change he’s ever experienced,” says Bond. “He felt like a completely different person, back to normal and not feeling sick in the morning. It was really rewarding to hear that.”

sleep apnea dentistry
Dr. Ryan Bond works with patients who have mild to moderate sleep apnea, although he has treated severe cases as well. Photo credit: Marlatt Photography.

That case was severe, but Bond is used to dealing with patients who suffer from different degrees of sleep apnea, a condition that arises from impaired breathing from an obstructed airway during sleep. It can have serious health consequences and in some cases can even be fatal.

Continuous Positive Air Pressure devices (CPAPs) are a common solution for the problem, but some patients find them too invasive and/or claustrophobia-inducing. At Cramer & Bond they offer patients Oral Appliance Therapy, an alternative to the CPAP.

Unlike a CPAP, which functions as an external splint, the oral appliance device creates what Bond calls “mandibular advancement. Just like in life support, the first step after checking the airway is tipping the head back and opening the jaw,” he says. “The oral appliance doesn’t allow the lower jaw to collapse backward and occlude while people sleep.”

The appliance generally has a much higher compliance rate than CPAP. “There are a lot of people out there who have sleep apnea but more often than not, their device is not on,” says Bond. “With CPAP the compliance levels are between 50 and 60 percent.”

Bond insists that the CPAP is still the “gold standard” in treating the condition. “If people can use it, we encourage them to do so,” he says, “but we get people who are flat out unwilling or unable to use it. They may have had a trial period and found they were unable to tolerate it.”

Most of the patients at Cramer & Bond have mild or moderate sleep apnea, which oral appliance therapy has been shown to alleviate. Although they have treated some severe cases, Bond says he generally tries to steer those toward the CPAP if at all possible.

sleep apnea dentistry
The oral appliance is an internal device for sleep apnea that some patients find less invasive than the CPAP.

Patients experience significant benefits from the treatment, sometimes right away. “One of the big things they notice is a reduction of snoring,” says Bond. “The spouse is usually the more excited party about that one.”

That was true in Bob Anderson’s case. At 70 years old, he developed mild sleep apnea that was enough to send his wife into the family room to sleep on a regular basis. Since starting oral appliance therapy two years ago, “I’ve almost completely have eliminated snoring,” he says. “Having mild sleep apnea meant I would stop breathing for more than ten seconds up to 17 times in one hour. It’s extremely hard on the heart.”

While Anderson was not generally tired during the day, other patients also report having reduced daytime fatigue. “Often people will say ‘I have to nap at least once, twice, three times a day to feel rested,’” he says.  “Patients are struggling for oxygen while they sleep, which keeps them out of REM sleep where rejuvenation happens. Once they’ve had the treatment, they feel more refreshed and rejuvenated.”

Most importantly, eliminating sleep apnea can have long term impacts on systemic health, says Bond. “Where you’re comparing people who were not treated in one form or another to those who are being treated, the trend is to have reduced blood pressure and less strain on cardiovascular system overall.”

Bond first learned about Oral Appliance Therapy through his business partner, Dr. Adam Cramer. “Six or seven years ago, he had a patient that pushed him a little bit out of his comfort zone,” he says. “The man was diagnosed with sleep apnea and didn’t want to wear the CPAP.  He told the dentist, ‘The day you make you me an appliance to treat it is the day I’ll go for it.’” Cramer pursued further training and was able to offer the patient the device he had held out for.

sleep apnea dentistry
Dr. Adam Cramer (left), Dr. Ryan Bond (center), and Dr. Megan Bond (right) form the core team at Cramer & Bond Dentistry. Photo credit: Marlatt Photography.

Bond and his wife Megan, who had been working with Dr. Cramer for several years by that point, followed his lead and took extended training courses to learn about sleep dentistry in 2014.

In the years since, the training has paid off and he finds the experience of helping people sleep better deeply satisfying. “As a dentist, it’s rewarding to be able to contribute to the overall health of people,” he says. “Teeth are connected to the body and can have systemic implications, but to actually be able to assist the medical profession to help people that otherwise aren’t going to be treated at all so that they can lead better lives and potentially extend their lifetimes, that’s important.  We’re providing a service that is potentially going to make a big impact on people’s lives.”

To learn more about Cramer & Bond Dentistry, visit www.atlasdentistry.com/tumwater or call 360-799-5166.

Sponsored

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
0 Shares