Headlines:

Weekly Review: Do In-Person Classes Drive Covid-19 Spread? Here’s What New Research Reveals

Are You Stressing Yourself Out?

Has Corona Virus Given A Boost to Telemedicine? Is it A Viable Alternative to Traditional Consultations?

Arthritis — Breakthrough Relief For The Rest of Your Life

Should TV commercials for alcohol/fast-food chains be banned?

Roadmap To Advancing Equity Within Your Structural Heart Program

Know What to Expect From Your Diabetes for Better Care

Building A Flexible CV Ambulatory Network

Sorting Through the Research on Aspirin

How AdventHealth Approached Cardiovascular ASC Strategy

Care at Home or in the Doctor’s Office — Seniors Have Options

Should there be criminal responsibility for medical errors?

OTC Products Can Help Smokers Quit

5 Easy Tips for Taking Care of Your Heart

How Florence Medicine Expands Outpatient CV Capacity

Diabetics: Don’t Turn a Blind Eye to Vision Screenings

Top Drivers Of Change In The Cardiovascular Market

Keep Your New Year’s Resolution With These Weight Loss Tips

Tactics To Build A Stronger Behavioral Health System

The Typical Health Problems of Puberty

Bringing Chiropractic Care to the Little Leagues

Enjoy Spa Treatments Without Spa Prices

Fresh Mussels Make 2012 Wellness Goals Taste Great

How To Make Behavioral Health Care Better For All

The Treatment of Rabies. The Milwaukee protocol

Are You Using Cold and Flu Medicine Correctly?

The Consumer-Oriented Ambulatory Network

Women: Not Every Infection Is A Yeast Infection

The Role Of A Healthy Diet And Sport In The Overall Health Level Of Population

When Meds Cause Constipation, Find the Right Answers for You

Healthy Habits Help Your Heart And Brain

What is Concierge Care?

8 Tips to Help Seniors Conquer Stress

Accountable Primary Care

Should the state refuse to import the products, obtained at the cost of someone’s health?

Mobile Health Clinics: Improving Access To Care For The Underserved

Steps Up to Keep Health Care Workers Healthy

In Heart Attacks, Faster Treatments Save Lives

Add Constipation to Postpartum List of Problems

Control Your Blood Pressure, Protect Your Health

How Cancer Providers Are Addressing Disparities And Financial Barriers

Women: Take the “Pearl Pledge” For Cervical Cancer Awareness

Safeguarding Ambulatory Access For Medicaid Patients

Should US hospitals provide a free translator to non-English speaking patients?

Primary Care Access Benchmarks For Medical Group Leaders

Should animals be used in research?

The Potential Immune-System Benefits of Vitamin D

Millions of Uninsured Kids Could Be Eligible for Health Coverage

Adult Stem Cell Research Unlocking New Medical Potential

Behavioral Health Access Playbook

Hands-Only CPR Can Save Someone You Love

Launching Specialty Telehealth Programs In Primary Care Clinics

How to Maximize Your Medicare Plan in 2022

How Glacier Bay Clinic Standardized Schedules To Improve Patient Access

Don’t Ignore Irregular Heartbeat

Participate from Home: A Study on Heart Health and Detection of AFib

Thyroid 101: Getting Down to Basics

Avoid Body Drought — How to Prevent Dehydration

How Penn Medicine Centralized Its Fragmented Spine Referral Process

Need a Helping Hand? Massage Benefits Reach Beyond Relaxation

How CHI Memorial Increased Access To Lung Cancer Screening With a Bus

5 Ways to Help Victims of Crime Cope With Trauma

How Health Plans Can Improve Behavioral Health Access

Dietary Supplements Can Support Your Immune System

Epilepsy Tragedies Stir Reform for Emergency Personnel

Sanitize Your Nose: Help Protect Yourself and Others from Infection

Building a Better Bridge From Hospital to Home Health Care

The Oncology Leader’s Advanced Practitioner Toolkit

Cancer Clinical Trials See Shortage of Participants

Infant Health Inequity

Tips to Help Older Adults Stay Apart, Not Alone During COVID-19

World Restart a Heart Day Highlights CPR Safety

Don’t Let Diabetes Wipe That Smile From Your Face

Fitness Has a New Focus During Medicare Open Enrollment Time

“Keep Up The Rates” Campaign Encourages Vaccination Amidst COVID-19

Stem Cells Research

Herbal Elderberry Supplements Support Sleep and Immunity

Cancer Center Finds Smokeless Tobacco May Help You Quit

Certain Medicare Plans Could Offer Members Food Assistance Benefits

Health Officials Still Focused on COVID, Despite Rise in Opiod Epidemic

Blood Pressure Control Starts With Measuring Accurately

Oral Health Tips for a Timeless Smile

Enjoy Pregnancy Without Foot Pain

Best Tips to a Health Lifestyle You Need to Understand

Don’t Let COVID-19 Impact Your Credit Score

Military Veterans, Here’s What You Need to Consider About Medicare

Clinical Trials Seek Cancer Patients

Don’t Ignore Irregular Heart-Related Complications

Your Blood’s Amazing Trip Through Your Vascular System

MyFreePharmacy Takes the Pain Out of Filling Prescriptions

Getting the Most of Medicare Prescription Drug Home Delivery

Students’ Mental Health Must Figure in Plans to Restart Classes

Do we need a dedicated global agency that would deal with covid 19 and other future pandemics?

Professional Diseases

Drug-Free Device Simplifies Sinus Pain Relief

Should Your Exercise Routine Include Massage?

Helping Teens Improve Mental Health by Finding Happiness

Need More Treatment Options? Cancer Clinical Trials May Help

Better Immunity is Just a Spray Away For Health

About Palliative Therapies To Treat Mesothelioma

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Dentists Help Patients Say Goodnight to Sleep Issues
dentist

Date

For those who have never consulted a dentist about treatments for sleep apnea and snoring, it may be time to make an appointment.

Dental sleep medicine is a growing segment of dentistry that focuses on managing snoring and sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy — an effective alternative to the standard treatment of the disease, the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and mask. Oral appliance therapy uses a “mouth guard-like” device, worn during sleep, to maintain an open, unobstructed airway.

“Oral appliances are very effective in treating sleep apnea because they maintain an open, unobstructed airway for patients,” said B. Gail Demko, DMD, president of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM). “Depending on the patient’s needs, the device will either hold the tongue in place or support the jaw in a forward position to keep the patient’s airway open and provide a more refreshing sleep.”

According to the AADSM, at least 12-18 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea, which causes them to stop breathing hundreds of times a night for anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute. Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening condition that can increase the risk for serious health problems from congestive heart failure, stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease to diabetes, obesity, depression and impotence if left untreated.

CPAP is the traditionally recommended treatment for sleep apnea. Sleeping with a CPAP machine, which includes a face mask, tubing and a running motor, can be difficult to adjust to. According to the AADSM, up to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients do not comply with or tolerate CPAP.

Dentists pioneered the use of oral appliance therapy for the treatment of sleep apnea and snoring. For many, oral devices are more comfortable to wear than a CPAP mask. The devices are also quiet, portable and easy to care for. Research suggests that oral appliance therapy can often equal CPAP in effectiveness and offers a higher patient compliance rate.

Dentists trained in dental sleep medicine work in conjunction with a sleep physician and recommend a specific oral appliance based on a patient’s needs,” said Dr. Demko. “The important thing for patients to remember is that effective oral devices are always custom fit by a dentist and may need adjustments over time to ensure maximum effectiveness.”

Oral appliance therapy is recommended for people with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Once diagnosed by a board-certified physician, a dentist trained in dental sleep medicine can provide treatment.

Facebook
Twitter
Reddit
LinkedIn
Email

More
articles

Join DBN Today!

Let DBN help guide you to success!

Doctors Business Network offers everything new and existing health care providers need to establish and build a successful career! Sign up with DBN today and let us help you succeed!

DBN Blog