Submitted By: Olympia/Tumwater Dentist – Stephen Russell, D.D.S
I have some very exciting information for people who snore or have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). An oral appliance can be fabricated and fitted by me, which allows you to breath again, stops the snoring, and treats OSA. It can add years to your life, prevent heart attacks and strokes, and yes, improve your sexual drive. Oral appliances have been changing the lives of our patients for many years. They have come to depend on their oral appliance like an old friend for the improved quality of life they provide for them and their family.
While often the subject of family jokes, snoring can be a sign of a deadly disease. OSA occurs when the tongue and soft palate collapse into the airway, causing partial or complete reductions in breathing while you sleep. Each time this happens, your brain wakes you up briefly to restore normal breathing.
OSA leads to poor quality sleep and serious health problems. Typical signs of sleep apnea include frequent, loud snoring, fragmented sleep, disturbing moments of silence as the person stops breathing which are often followed by choking, snorting or gasping sounds as the person struggles to resume breathing.
OSA increases risk of diabetes, heart attack, stroke, acid reflux, high blood pressure, depression and obesity. Symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, decreased sex drive, difficulty concentrating, morning headaches and memory loss.
OSA is treatable! Doing so reduces the risks listed above, as well as restoring a quality of life for the patient and their family that they may not even realize they have lost. Traditional treatment options include continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) devices that keep the airway open by forcing air into the lungs, weight loss, surgery, and positional therapy (changing the position that you sleep in).
CPAP devices are the gold standard for OSA treatment. Unfortunately, CPAP devices, while generally effective, are not tolerated by up to 50% of patients who attempt to use them. Surgical outcomes are often unpredictable, expensive, and come with significant risks. Weight loss alone may not cure the OSA and is often unattainable by patients.
Oral appliance therapy (OAT) provides another great option and is endorsed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the organization responsible for board certification of physician sleep specialists.
OAT supports the jaw in a forward position and keeps the airway from collapsing. This often eliminates symptoms in mild to moderate cases of OSA and can reduce symptoms in more severe cases. A dentist trained in dental sleep medicine is specially qualified to fabricate this type of medical device.
Before OAT is considered, a patient needs to be evaluated by a sleep physician. OAT should not be considered without a proper diagnosis of OSA, as well as an assessment of the severity and discussion of all treatment options with the sleep specialist. If OSA is ruled out, you may have a milder form of a sleep related breathing disorder or, snoring that is not associated with a breathing disorder. In this case, OAT can still be of great benefit to improve quality of sleep and life for the whole family.
Many of my patients with oral appliances testify to the dramatic and life-changing affects this treatment has had on their lives. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to treat a life threatening disease for which many people have not found an effective treatment option.
Please contact our office for more information and begin to breath easier!
Check out our website at: http://www.russelldentistry.com/
