The entire team spent Valentine’s Day weekend together at the North American Dental Sleep Medicine Symposium in Clearwater, Florida.
The entire medical community is becoming acutely aware of night time breathing problems( Obstructive Sleep Apnea) and its causative effects for many systemic medical conditions. Coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, dementia, and strokes have all been proven to be significantly related to airway issue and obstructive sleep apnea.
As dental professionals, we are able to screen our patients and recognize signs and symptoms of night time breathing problems. Snoring, teeth grinding, enlarged or scalloped tongue, narrow dental arches, day time sleepiness, morning headaches and hypertension are a few of the signs and symptoms we can use to screen our patients for possible airway issues.
For patients that can not tolerate treatment with C-PAP therapy a dental device, a mandibular advancement appliance, can be used to prevent the airway from obstructing during sleep. The mandibular advancement appliance works by gently holding the lower jaw forward as one sleeps. It prevents the tongue from falling backwards and obstructing the airway. This allows for an increased flow of air naturally.
For those diagnosed with moderate or mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) a mandibular advancement appliance has been recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as the first line of therapy. We have multiple different mandibular advancement appliances to fit ones individuals needs and situation.
Our team is dedicated to not only to ideal oral health, but, also to the overall systemic health of our wonderful patients.