Dental Services in New York, Huntington, and Garden City

Sleep Apnea & Snoring Therapy

Sleep is not just a time out. It is actually a necessary ingredient to a healthy mental and physical wellbeing. For 90 million Americans, getting a good night’s sleep and waking up well rested is almost an impossibility, and they do not even know they have a sleep disorder. There are over 84 sleep-related disorders that are often undiagnosed. Sleep apnea is serious, potentially life-threatening sleep disorder that is far more common than generally thought.

Our Doctors at Arch Dental have had great success treating sleep apnea with a simple nighttime oral appliance. Our patients prefer this over the traditional CPAP, because the mask is uncomfortable and cumbersome. If your currently wear the CPAP and want a more comfortable and better alternative, call us to schedule a consultation to see if an oral appliance can help you sleep better. At our offices we can help you get the treatment you need to sleep well, sleep comfortably and sleep healthy.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a treatable disorder in which a person literally stops breathing hundreds of times at night, for at least 10 seconds during sleep. The soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes the airway, which causes oxygen levels to drop and carbon dioxide to rise. One in fifteen adults has at least moderate sleep apnea. Those with sleep apnea often snore followed by jerks, gasping, choking, or move before breathing again. Ninety percent of individuals who snore have sleep apnea and don’t know it. Sleep apnea affects men, women, and children of all ages and any weight. Studies have shown that 3% of children have hyperactivity and difficulty in school due to sleep apnea.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

Don’t close your eyes to the evidence. Do you display any of the signs?

______	Snoring interrupted by pauses in breathing
______	Morning headaches
______	Falling asleep when you shouldn’t
______	Memory problems
______	Frequent bathroom use in the middle of the night
______	Daytime fatigue
______	Irritability
______	Reduced sex drive or sexual dysfunction
______	Inability to focus or trouble concentrating
______	Loss of energy
______	Choking and Gasping during sleep
______	Restless sleep
______	High blood pressure
______	Overweight
______	Depression

Some risk factors are family history of sleep disorders, excess weight, a large neck, smoking, and alcohol use. The regular use of stimulants, like coffee and soda, may hide signs of sleep apnea and be a clue to the existence of an underlying sleep disorder.

Try the Sleepiness Test

Use this scale to choose the most suitable number for each situation.

0 - Would Never Dose
1 - Slight Chance of Dozing
2 - Moderate Chance of Dozing
3 - High Chance of Dozing

Situation	Chance of Dozing
Sitting and reading	_________
Watching TV	_________
Sitting in a theater or meeting	_________
As a passenger in a car without an hour break	_________
Lying down to rest in the afternoon	_________
Sitting quietly after lunch	_________

A score of six or more means you need to contact our office immediately for a sleep evaluation and tests for causes of your daytime sleepiness.

Consequences of Untreated Sleep Apnea

High blood pressure, increased risk for heart attacks, strokes, memory loss, diabetes, impotence, weigh gain, depression, intellectual deterioration, impaired mental functioning, delayed reaction times, and high pressures in the lung arteries are risks for people with sleep apnea. There are adverse effects on an individual’s alertness and decision-making ability, as well. Studies have shown that sleep apnea is responsible for 1 in 3 fatalities in motor vehicle accidents, approximately 400,000 auto accidents annually. Most importantly, untreated sleep apnea causes 1400 fatalities in America each year. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, the only way to avoid becoming a statistic is to seek treatment immediately.

How do we diagnose sleep apnea?

Our office refers patients to a sleep specialist physician for a complete medical assessment. We perform an intra-oral exam, which includes the following:

Specialized X-rays: CT Scan, TMJ X-rays, Panoramic X-rays
Intra-oral photos
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Checking gag reflex
Diagnostic models
Orthopedic Exam

We determine the most effective position for the lower jaw to increase the airway with state-of-the-art equipment, like a pharyngometer (which measures air volume) and the rhinometer (which rules out any obstruction or enlargement in the nasal passages). Then we make full-mouth impressions for our laboratory to fabricate a custom airway dilator appliance.

What is the treatment? How can we help? What is involved?

Today, with dentistry’s new technology and diagnostic tools, we can provide assistance for sleep apnea patients. Airway Dilator is a conservative and effective sleep appliance that is light and easy to wear during sleep. This appliance moves the lower jaw forward and downward to open the obstructed airway and provide more oxygen during sleep. The advantage to this method of treatment is that it is non-invasive, cost effective, and easy to adjust to. In addition to an appliance, we encourage our patients to exercise regularly, avoid alcohol and nicotine, and possibly reduce their weight.