What can be killing you during your sleep? Maybe You!

February 21, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

At www.thegentledentist.com we are concerned about the overall health of our patients and one of the treatments we can team up with the physican is treating Obstructive Sleep apnea (OSA).  OSA is a chronic disorder where patients usually start off snoring and then during the deepest part of the snore will evolve to gasping for air after a period of time when no breathing is present.  This closure and obstruction of the air passage can create a number of problems with the patient:

  • Chronic sleepiness has been shown to increase traffic accident incidence.
  • High blood pressure.  Because the body senses a drop in oxygen in the blood stream it is critical for the adrenal glands to send a surge of adrenaline into the blood stream which increases the heart rate and increase blood pressure.  Over time this creates a lot of stress on the body and can lead to a heart attack.
  • Diabetes.  This high blood pressure can affect the way that blood sugars are metabolized in the body.
  • Impotence.  For men their sexual drive can be affected
  • Relations.  Because snoring keeps the family up at night the use of such a device can provide peace for all concerned.

Treatment:  The cPAP is a pressure filled mask that is plugged into the wall which runs a humidified air compressor which forces air down the trachea and into the lungs.  This has a quiet buzz and is like a Darth Vator mask.  Patients sometimes find it difficult to wear and decided to not wear it and end up being non complient. 

The oral sleep appliance is different in that it is much smaller and convenient to use.  Rather that forcing air into the lungs by pressure this oral appliance shifts the jaw forward and the soft tissues attached to the jaw open the air space.  By eliminating the cPAP things are more comfortable and much more compatible.  Keep in mind that the cPAP is the gold standard and is usually preferred by the sleep doctors but the problem is that the patients have a difficult time tolerating it.  It is important for the patient using the oral appliance go through a series of exercises during the morning after waking up.  This 10 minutes is important because it reseats the jaw back into where it needs to go and when doing so the bite is not affected. 

It is important for your dentist to have a good understanding of the occlusion (bite) and the TMJ (Jaw Joint).  If you have a cPAP and just can’t use it let us know about it.  If you have some of these symptoms mentioned above let us know so we can refer you to a sleep physician and order a sleep study.  Even though you may not think this is a problem you would be surprised to find out just how good you would feel with a good night sleep. 

If you have comments or questions and are in the Shelby Twp. MI area please call us up at (586)247-3500 or email me at DrAntolak@TheGentleDentist.com.

Filed Under: Dental Patient Testimonials, Dental Videos, General Dentistry, How to choose a dentist, Oral Conditions, Sleeping Disorders Tagged With: , , ,

Sleep apnea-the silent (not so silent) killer

January 15, 2010 by ·

Sleep apnea is a diagnosis that have a direct affect on one’s total health. Between 50-70 million Americans have some form of chronic sleep disorders, including snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) but only 15% know about it. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness alone costs $150 billion annually in lost productivity and mishaps from a lack of nightly sleep. Another $48 billion in medical costs related to motor vehicle accidents that involve drowsy drivers. Almost 20% of all serious car crash injuries are associated with driver Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.

Things to look out for in regards to sleep apnea are:

Obesity, neck larger than 17″ for males and 15″ for females, small lower jaw in relation to the upper jaw, and the older you are the higher the risk. The tissues in the pharynx area of the throat get loose and excessive so it leads to airway closure during sleep.

This problem with the stoppage of breathing occurs when the throat area closes down when excessive tissues encroaches upon the airway space. If the breathing is stopped for more than 10 seconds period of time it is called an episode. Sleep apnea is quantified:

  • Mild-5-15 episodes per hour
  • Moderate:16-30
  • Severe: greater than 30 per hour.

The more episodes one has correlates to more severe problems. You can often hear one who is snoring heavily and then will gasp and find it is silent. They will then make a big gasp to try to catch their breath.

Every time they gasp this wakes them up from a deeper level of sleep. Without the deep levels of sleep the body can’t get refreshed therefore sleep deprivation takes place. It is as if someone wakes you up every other minute!

The body has to arouse itself by using epinephrine which then speeds up the heart, places pressure on the lungs and completely stresses the body. These stresses affect the systemic organs of the body leading to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

The gold standard is to use a cPAP positive pressure mask which blows air down the trachea to force air into the lungs. Many people are not compliant with this device and desire something more comfortable. This is where we come in. It is possible to us an oral appliance called an orthotic to move the lower jaw forward. This opens up the airway to allow more passive non restricted air flow into the lungs. Many people can’t get used to a mask on their face and choose to be more comfortable with this type of device.

If you do wear a cPaP and aren’t happy with it give us a call to discuss the options. Our phone number is (586)247-3500.

Dr. Antolak Performs dentistry in a very comfortable atmosphere where you are treated like family. The Gentle Dentist is located in Shelby Township, Michigan and provides dental services to patients in Macomb County and Oakland County, Michigan

Filed Under: General Dentistry, Headache treatment, Oral Conditions, Sleeping Disorders Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sleeping Disorders and Snoring

March 12, 2007 by ·

Question: I know that as I age along with other seniors it seems as if I am more tired. My wife says I snore and have been for years. Am I tired because of the snoring or do you think because of my age?

Answer: Over 70 million Americans snore or have a sleeping disorder. It affects the energy level, memory and concentration of those who have these problems. It also affects the spouses who have to sleep with the snorer.

Snoring is caused by a partial obstruction of the windpipe by the tongue during sleep. When the tongue fully covers the windpipe during sleep the person can’t get air in their lungs and stops breathing. This is called sleep apnea and is a momentary event, but can occur throughout the night. Both of these are constant disturbances during sleep as if someone was nudging you throughout the night preventing restful sleep. About 17% of those who snore have apnea.

When there is a constant interruption in sleep and a reduction in oxygen takes place mental awareness is reduced. We can now treat these problems by using a small mouth guard type of device that is worn at night. It can be adjusted by the patient for maximum comfort. They can also remove it whenever they want. It works by keeping the lower jaw forward and therefore opens the airway during sleep. The result is the elimination of snoring and apnea. There is greater than a 90% success rate in this treatment and can be done in less than 30 minutes and in one visit to our office. 

I am certain that if you are having these snoring or even apnea problems you will have success and have a more restful night and a much happier wife. Contact us for more information at (586) 247-3500 or visit The Gentle Dentist.

Filed Under: General Dentistry, Sleeping Disorders Tagged With: , , ,