Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Dental Sleep Medicine
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when your muscles relax during sleep. This allows the soft tissue to collapse and block the airway. Each pause in breathing is called an apnea. As a result, sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing many times at night.
The pause can last for anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute. When this occurs, we wake up and seriously disrupt our sleep. The overall effect of all these apneas is a decrease in oxygen levels. These decreased oxygen levels can affect every cell in the body, especially the heart and brain.
Signs that you could be losing valuable shut-eye to sleep apnea include:
- Loud snoring
- Excessive daytime tiredness
- Memory problems
- Irritability
- Daytime fatigue
- Insomnia
Without sleep apnea treatment, it can be a potentially life-threatening condition! It can increase the risk for other serious health problems. Problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression, and impotence.
Should I seek testing to see if I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
- Do you snore?
- Do you wake up gasping for air?
- Do you feel tired during the day?
- Do you wake up with frequent headaches?
- Do you have difficulty concentrating or feel “cloudy”?
- Do you have a tough time falling asleep or staying asleep?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to speak with Dr. Caesar about having a sleep consultation.
At the sleep consult, Dr. Caesar will review your medical and dental histories. He will ask you some more in-depth questions about your sleep history, and do a detailed examination of your airway.
To do this Dr. Caesar will utilize a pharyngometer and a rhinometer. These are painless state-of-the-art devices for measuring the size and volume of your airway and nasal passages. This will give the sleep specialist a precise picture of your airway and how much it is collapsing when you sleep.
Based on these results, Dr. Caesar may recommend a sleep study or other relevant and effective treatment.
What is a Sleep Study?
Only an overnight sleep study that a medical doctor reads can diagnose a person with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). There are two types of overnight sleep studies: a Polysomnogram (PSG) and a Home Sleep Test (HST). For a PSG, the patient will stay in a sleep lab overnight, either in a doctor’s office or hospital setting. The technician will place leads on the head and body that will take measurements while the patient is asleep.
Most patients prefer the HST because they can complete it in the comfort of your own home, and in their own bed. The patient will still use leads to take measurements, but overall it’s a much more comfortable experience. Dr. Caesar can administer the HST to you directly. Upon completion of the test, a board-certified sleep physician will work with Dr. Caesar works to decide the results.
Based on the final diagnosis, Dr. Caesar can then sit down with you and discuss treatment options.
How do you Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
The traditionally prescribed treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. It involves sleeping with a face mask connected by tubing to a constantly running machine. It uses air force to keep the airway open overnight.
Although a CPAP machine is effective, more than half of the patients don’t adhere to the treatment. Dr. Caesar can provide an alternate sleep solution with oral appliance therapy.
What is Oral Appliance Therapy?
Oral appliance therapy is an effective and non-invasive treatment option for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. A dental oral appliance looks like a sports mouthguard, but patients will wear it only at night during sleep. It supports the jaw in a forward position to help maintain and open the upper airway.
The device will prevent sleep apnea and snoring. Doctors also call these appliances Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD), and they fit easily into anyone’s lifestyle.
Our dental appliances will push the jaw forward to enlarge the airway and prevent it from collapsing while sleeping. This is a simple solution that is discreet, silent, and comfortable. If given the option, most patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea choose the MAD devices over CPAP.
Dr. Caesar has provided many patients with a custom-fitted oral appliance. He uses the pharyngometer to obtain the correct bite or “sweet spot” for your mouth. This is the best position of your lower jaw that will keep the airway open while you sleep. Expect no more “guessing” on how to make your appliance, and for it to fit correctly the first time.
The doctor is now able to see using technology, the best position for your lower jaw. Patients like or treatments because they are easy to wear, quiet, portable, convenient for travel, and easy to clean.
Treating snoring or sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy can help you get a good nights sleep. You will find that your symptoms, and your quality of life, will improve dramatically when you remain committed to your treatment. Oral appliance therapy at Bella Smiles can improve your sleep, restore your alertness, and revitalize your health. Call one of our dental offices to learn more or request a sleep apnea evaluation.