Good quality sleep is essential for your dental and overall health. Over 80% of all people that have a sleeping disorder have not been diagnosed, and are unaware that they are suffering from a serious medical condition. If you suffer from daytime fatigue, snore loudly, and/or grind your teeth at night, you might be suffering from sleep apnea. Screening, testing, and treating sleep apnea in Independence, MO and the KC Metro area has never been easier, and for many patients, no cpap is needed! For more information, click the link below to visit Sleep Matters LLC, Dr. Silver’s dental sleep medicine practice (inside the True Dental building).
Sleep Apnea Q & A
Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious medical condition where the soft tissues of your throat and tongue collapse into the airway space, causing a pause in breathing, and a drop in your blood oxygen levels. These pauses can last for 10 seconds to several minutes, and will happen multiple times an hour. These pauses in your breathing cause your brain to wake you up, allowing those tissues to stiffen back up and out of the airway. Left untreated, OSA puts you at a significant risk for a heart attack, stroke, and many other health related problems.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
-Excessive daytime sleepiness
-Loud snoring
-Gasping for air during sleep
-Morning headache
-Low libido
-Waking up with a sore throat
If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you might also find it difficult to focus or pay attention at work or school.
-Excessive daytime sleepiness
-Loud snoring
-Gasping for air during sleep
-Morning headache
-Low libido
-Waking up with a sore throat
If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you might also find it difficult to focus or pay attention at work or school.
Today! You should come see us right away if you have any signs or symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea or if you already know that you have sleep apnea, and you cannot tolerate your cpap machine. Don’t forget to ask us about your airway at your next dental visit (you’re here anyways, and we have a good view of the back of your throat!)
To diagnose sleep apnea, your True Dental Group provider conducts an oral exam and asks about your symptoms, including their severity and when they started. They also examine your mouth, nose, and the back of your throat and measure your neck circumference.
If these measures aren’t enough to determine the cause of your symptoms, your provider might refer you to a specialist for a sleep study. This type of study monitors your heart and respiratory rate during sleep.
Only a board-certified sleep physician can diagnose you with obstructive sleep apnea. At True Dental (and Sleep Matters), we have a thorough screening process to evaluate your risk for OSA to determine if a sleep study is appropriate or not. We have partnered with a vendor who can schedule you with a Tele-med appointment with a sleep physician, and mail you a home sleep testing device, so you can do your sleep study in the comfort of your own bed (so much easier and cheaper than doing a sleep study at the hospital).
If these measures aren’t enough to determine the cause of your symptoms, your provider might refer you to a specialist for a sleep study. This type of study monitors your heart and respiratory rate during sleep.
Only a board-certified sleep physician can diagnose you with obstructive sleep apnea. At True Dental (and Sleep Matters), we have a thorough screening process to evaluate your risk for OSA to determine if a sleep study is appropriate or not. We have partnered with a vendor who can schedule you with a Tele-med appointment with a sleep physician, and mail you a home sleep testing device, so you can do your sleep study in the comfort of your own bed (so much easier and cheaper than doing a sleep study at the hospital).
True Dental Group treats sleep apnea using an alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). That alternative is a custom-fit oral appliance that pushes your lower jaw slightly forward. By repositioning your jaw, it’s possible to improve your airflow and prevent snoring.
To ensure that your custom oral appliance fits perfectly, the team uses The Eccovision® acoustic pharyngometer. This cutting-edge tool makes it easy for your provider to measure the size of your pharyngeal airway and the stability of the tissues between your nose and the back of your throat. If you’re concerned about the risk of sleep apnea, make an appointment at True Dental Group. Call the office or request a consultation online today.
The three main treatment options for OSA are:
1. Continuous positive airway pressure (cpap). Cpap therapy is the most common treatment prescribed for the treatment of OSA. Cpap works great, but many people discover that they can not tolerate wearing a cpap while they sleep. Some studies suggest that almost 50% of people told to wear a cpap are unable to be compliant
2. Oral appliance therapy. Dr. Silver, a diplomate of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy, specializes in this popular and comfortable cpap alternative. If you are a candidate for oral appliance therapy, Dr. Silver will fabricate a custom, precision made device that fits comfortably like a set of retainers. These devices allow your dentist to advance your lower jaw while you sleep, allowing your airway to stay open all night long and allowing you to get the sleep that you deserve. Call the office today, and feel your whole body come alive when you start getting a full night's sleep
3. Surgery: There are several different surgical options available for the treatment of OSA. During your sleep consultation, Dr. Silver will discuss surgical options with you.
The two most common surgeries are:
a. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation: This surgery will implant a medical device in the upper chest with a set of wires run under the skin and connected to the base of the tongue.
b. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP): This surgery removes tissue from the back of the oral cavity to enlarge the airway space. This surgery is typically considered last out of all the treatment options.
To ensure that your custom oral appliance fits perfectly, the team uses The Eccovision® acoustic pharyngometer. This cutting-edge tool makes it easy for your provider to measure the size of your pharyngeal airway and the stability of the tissues between your nose and the back of your throat. If you’re concerned about the risk of sleep apnea, make an appointment at True Dental Group. Call the office or request a consultation online today.
The three main treatment options for OSA are:
1. Continuous positive airway pressure (cpap). Cpap therapy is the most common treatment prescribed for the treatment of OSA. Cpap works great, but many people discover that they can not tolerate wearing a cpap while they sleep. Some studies suggest that almost 50% of people told to wear a cpap are unable to be compliant
2. Oral appliance therapy. Dr. Silver, a diplomate of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy, specializes in this popular and comfortable cpap alternative. If you are a candidate for oral appliance therapy, Dr. Silver will fabricate a custom, precision made device that fits comfortably like a set of retainers. These devices allow your dentist to advance your lower jaw while you sleep, allowing your airway to stay open all night long and allowing you to get the sleep that you deserve. Call the office today, and feel your whole body come alive when you start getting a full night's sleep
3. Surgery: There are several different surgical options available for the treatment of OSA. During your sleep consultation, Dr. Silver will discuss surgical options with you.
The two most common surgeries are:
a. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation: This surgery will implant a medical device in the upper chest with a set of wires run under the skin and connected to the base of the tongue.
b. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP): This surgery removes tissue from the back of the oral cavity to enlarge the airway space. This surgery is typically considered last out of all the treatment options.
