Do You Always Feel Exhausted? Do You Suffer From Frequent Headaches? Do You Grind Your Teeth?
You Might Suffer From Sleep Apnea!
Now, Oral Sleep Appliances Can Offer A Way to Save Your Life…And Your Marriage!
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) affects more than 20 million Americans can be Life Threatening! IOSA occurs when the soft tissues surrounding the airway collapse, resulting in a cessation of breathing often lasting several seconds at a time. In an amazing life saving maneuver to prevent suffocation and death, the oxygen deprived brain arouses the individual from sleep to take a massive, loud gulp of air, allowing the individual to fall back to sleep. For those that suffer from OSA, this cycle can occur as many as 100 times an hour, resulting in severe sleep deprivation, and daytime exhaustion! If left untreated, OSA can result in: high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, depression, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, morning headaches, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Unfortunately, while most people with sleep apnea are aware that they snore and feel overtired or fatigued, most are completely unaware of potentially serious medical problems which may exist. Indeed, OSA is often mistaken for excessive snoring and is ignored for years!
Excessive snoring or OSA also has a tremendous impact on one’s spouse. Recently, a condition known as "secondary snoring" has been researched, and has been shown to cost the bed partner of a snorer an average of 1.5 hours of sleep each night. Snoring, in fact, has also been shown to be a leading cause of divorce. In fact, snoring is so common that about 30% of American couples sleep in separate beds!!!
Diagnosis of OSA
Self Test
While the only way to be sure if you suffer from OSA is to have a sleep test either at home from a qualified sleep physician or in a hospital sleep center, a score of 9 or above on this test is an indication that you should see your doctor immediately.
Please feel free to print this test, fill it out and bring it with you for a complimentary consultation.
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale
How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the following situations?
Choose the most appropriate number for each situation:
0 = would never doze
1 = slight chance of dozing
2 = moderate chance of dozing
3 = high chance of dozing
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Activity
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Score
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Sitting and Reading
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Watching TV
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Sitting, inactive in a public place (theater, meeting, etc.)
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As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break
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Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit
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Sitting and talking to someone
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Sitting quietly after lunch without alcohol
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In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in traffic
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Total
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A score of 9 or above indicates you may be having a problem with daytime sleepiness but below 9 does not necessarily mean that you don't have a problem. See Dr. Sonne and Shapiro for advice if you snore, have been told that you awake gasping for breath or if you are sleepy during the day.
Other Common symptoms of OSA include:
OSA can also cause learning or memory disabilities, as well as periods of nodding off while on the phone or at work. Obviously, sleep apnea patients are at a much greater risk of having auto accidents.
If you, your physician or dentist suspect that you might have OSA, a sleep study should be conducted, either at your home or at an accredited sleep center. Through close observation and analysis of the data collected during the study, an accurate assessment and diagnosis of OSA can be made.
People most likely to have or develop sleep apnea include those we’ve mentioned already who snore, or who are also overweight, or have high blood pressure.
Sleep apnea seems to run in some families, suggesting a possible genetic link. In fact, if you have children, you might keep this in mind, paying specific attention to whether or not they still have their tonsils and adenoids.
If you snore, often feel tired or simply don’t wake up refreshed in the morning, take the following Self Test!
Snoring Vs. Sleep Apnea. What’s the Difference?
Snoring occurs when the airway or passage through which we breathe becomes partially blocked causing vibration of the soft tissue. An example would be a tongue that falls back as we drift off into deeper sleep. As the diameter or size of the airway passage is shrinking, the net result is a muffled sound, snoring, secondary to vibrations in the throat. Large tonsils, a long soft palate, a large tongue, the uvula, and excess fat deposits in the throat all contribute to narrowing of the airway and snoring. Usually, the more narrow the airway space, the louder or more habitual the snoring. Despite the vibration, air continues to move into the lungs, thus these individuals do not suffer the same side effects as OSA patients. However, this is of little comfort to the spouse who must endure the snoring!!!
Snoring is extremely common. Chances are that your spouse, other family members, or your coworkers, are keen to the problem. In fact, they may suffer from sleep deprivation due to your snoring!
Treatment of OSA
Good sleep hygiene, weight loss, and exercise are some helpful OSA treatments a patient can practice on their own. However, medical and dental treatments include Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, Oral Appliance Therapy, and surgery.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is pressurized air generated from a bedside machine. The air is delivered through a tube, connected to a mask, covering the nose. The force of the pressurized air splints the airway open. The CPAP opens the airway like air into a balloon; when air is blown into the balloon, it opens and gets wider. This is exactly how CPAP clears the airway. The CPAP is extremely effective. However, it is quite cumbersome and many find it uncomfortable. For these reasons, many or most patients do not use their CPAP machines faithfully.
Oral Appliances to Treat Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea appliances are generally similar to orthodontic retainers, except they hold the lower jaw forward and open, preventing the tongue and throat tissues from collapsing the critical airway. While best suited for mild-moderate sleep apnea, they can be extremely effective even for severe OSA. These appliances reduce sleep apnea associated health risks without the need for surgery, medications, or other therapies. Most individuals find them to be MUCH more comfortable than CPAP and use them religiously!!!!
The two primary appliances used at Sonne and Shapiro Dental are the TAP appliance and the SomnoMED.
The TAP appliance , ( Thornton Adjustable Positioner) oral appliance is a mandibular advancement device composed of two separate arches (maxillary and mandibular) containing an advancing mechanism which permits unlimited advancement of the lower jaw. The arches are custom fit to a patient's models. The advancing mechanism is engaged and the screw mechanism in the upper tray is then turned to advance the mandible until the patient begins to feel any discomfort in the temporomandibular joint or in the facial muscles (maximum mechanical protrusion which is an average of 2.5mm beyond maximum protrusion). The advancing screw is then turned back until patient is comfortable.
The SomnoMed MAS™ is a Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS) that treats both snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), by advancing the lower jaw forward. It is a custom-made device consisting of upper and lower dental plates with a unique patented fin-coupling mechanism.
The SomnoMED is adjustable for incremental levels of jaw advancement. This improves the effectiveness and comfort-level of treatment as the jaw is moved only as far as is required to alleviate snoring and reduce OSA.
While these are currently our favorite appliances, this field is still in its relative infancy, and more appliances are being invented and/or awaiting FDA approval all the time. We treat each patient individually, so we might suggest a specific appliance for you, but a different one for your spouse.
Whether it’s snoring that has forced you into a life on the couch or perhaps you suspect you suffer from Sleep Apnea, please let us know so that we can help you!
