At your next dental appointment you may be asked some questions that your dentist has never asked before.  Among these questions:

• Do you snore?
• Do you feel tired all day long?
• Ever fallen asleep while driving?
• Do you wake up with headaches and a sore throat?

Answering yes to several of the screening questions similar to the ones listed may suggest that you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)  and your dentist may refer you to a sleep specialist to determine a definite diagnosis.

Why would your dentist worry about your sleep?  As with many medical problems that have a dental link (such as oral bacteria being linked to strokes and heart attack) so is obstructive sleep apnea.  The link between dentistry and OSA, however, involves the treatment of the disease and its side effects.

Patients with sleep apnea stop breathing during sleep because the soft palate collapses and blocks the upper airway.  The most common treatment is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) which involves wearing a breathing mask to sleep.  Most patients find sleep with the CPAP difficult and fewer than half the patients prescribed the device actually use it.

Sleep apnea dental appliances are recommended for patients who are intolerant of CPAP.  The dental appliance keeps the airway open by gently moving the jaw forward which keeps the airway open during sleep.  Studies show that a higher percentage of patients continue treatment using the dental appliance.

Only dentists who are specially trained in dental sleep medicine can fit an oral sleep apnea appliance.  Dentists who treat OSA patients should also be trained and experienced in neuromuscular dentistry to ensure that the patient’s jaw joints and facial muscles work well with the appliance.

In the Columbus, Ohio please contact my office at 614-476-6696 to schedule your sleep apnea consultation.  You deserve a good night’s sleep!