What is Dental Sleep Medicine?
This is an area of practice for dentists who treat the condition Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Dental Sleep Medicine is an alternative to the otherwise default sleep apnea treatment of CPAP therapy. The demand amongst patients for this treatment is rising; as intolerance to CPAP is an estimated 50% or more.
Why are people intolerant to CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)?
The CPAP machine is a facemask that is worn at night. This mask is connected to a machine that pumps air down the patient’s throat. The CPAP works very well at its primary goal of keeping the airway open thus stopping the apnea events. However it is very discomfort able for many people.
Dry throat and facial marks from the mask are just a few common complaints. Noise and a feeling of discomfort from being connected to a machine are others. Statistics show that most people will not wear the mask throughout the entire night; and many patients discontinue use altogether within the first year of treatment.
What’s the role of Dental Sleep Medicine & Oral Appliance Therapy?
For most cases of mild-moderate of OSA an oral appliance will work very well at stopping the snoring and apnea events from occurring. For severe cases hybrid oral appliance/CPAP combinations may be needed, in addition to other alternative treatment options such as losing weight and changing sleep position.
An oral appliance is a mouthpiece akin to a retainer worn after braces are taken off. Two types of oral appliances exist, one that slightly pushes forward the lower mandible (jaw); and another that keeps the tongue from collapsing in on the throat.
Many, many patients find this method of treating sleep apnea to be much more tolerable and acceptable than CPAP. It is the number one CPAP Alternative on the market today. It can: A) treat the condition successfully, B) offer more comfort than CPAP, C) creates no noise like a CPAP; D) is very easy to travel with.
It’s estimated that 20 million people living in the US alone are dealing with sleep apnea and do not even know it. And of the people who are diagnosed and prescribed CPAP up to 50% or more stop treatment because they hate CPAP and have no idea there is such an easy and manageable solution in Oral Appliance therapy.
The purpose of this blog is to offer information about treating this potentially deadly condition and feature the top dentists nationwide who are currently treating patients every day.
What Sleep Apnea Treatmen Will Work For You?
Finding the right cure for your sleep apnea can be quite a daunting task. At this present moment there are three medical treatment options: surgery, oral appliance, or CPAP. In addition to the medical approaches some people’s apnea can be successfully managed by changing their behavior and habits; such as losing weight, not drinking alcohol before sleep, changing sleep position.
For mild to moderate cases usually a combination of changing behavior or losing weight in conjunction with an oral appliance will greatly reduce the effects of sleep apnea. Patients that have a severe case of apnea should may only be treatable through CPAP therapy, although sometimes CPAP and oral appliance can be combined for a more comfortable sleep than with CPAP alone.
Surgical procedures get used quite often as well, but there is no guarantee of success. Its best for people to try all the other treatment options prior to jumping into surgery.
Some people will find that just changing the position they sleep in will change help to stop their apnea and snoring. It is recommended to always see a medical professional before doing anything to treat this condition.
Finding sleep apnea treatment Santa Cruz does not have to be difficult. Research in your local area for professionals who can help you; typically you will need to start by getting a sleep study done so a doctor can diagnose your condition. Following your diagnosis then you should explore what the options are for treatment.
Sleep Apnea Exercises Could Revolutionize Treatment Methods!
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Whats New With Holistic Dentistry?
Toronto Cosmetic Dentist on Advantages of Holistic Dentistry (via MarketWire)
SOURCE: Susie Ang, DDS March 26, 2013 05:03 ET Dr. Susie Ang and Her Holistic Dentistry Approach Aim to Care for Each Patient’s Overall Dental Health — Rather Than Simply the Teeth and Gums MARKHAM, ON–(Marketwire – Mar 26, 2013) – Dr. Susie Ang, a Toronto cosmetic dentist, strives to create smiles…
Best Sleep Apnea Dentist in Lower Manhattan NYC
Dr. Lily Eng is one of the best dentists who offer sleep apnea treatment in New York City. She has been practicing dental sleep medicine for years and has treated hundreds of patients successfully through using oral appliance therapy.
Her main office is on the lower end of Park Avenue. She also has an office in Jackson Heights, Queens as well. She earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree in 1993; and is a board certified Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Eng has an extremely strong practice focus on treating patients who suffer from sleep apnea; she spends dozens of hours every year in additional training and education on all the latest in techniques and technologies in the field of Dental Sleep Medicine.
She takes pleasure in being able to help people get the level of quality sleep the body needs to maintain optimal health. Her patients often call her to let her know how happy they are the treatment works. The bottom line is without getting the proper treatment through oral appliance therapy many of her patients would not be getting treated at all, since most people are not wearing their CPAP.
