Millions of Americans snore.
Snoring is more then an annoyance that keeps some sleep partners in separate bedrooms. Snoring affects your health and the health of those that you live with. Of the millions affected, over 60 percent have some type of sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea or Sleep Disturbed Breathing is a medical condition that can rob your body of the oxygen that it needs for a long healthy life. Vibrations associated with snoring can affect the blood flow to our brains, increasing the risk of stroke.
Diagnosis and treatment are key to dealing with this disorder. Treatment can not only improve their quality of sleep, it can also increase their quality of life. Most snoring occurs when air passes into the throat through obstructed or inflamed tissues. Some patients have snoring caused by a nasal blockage. Early treatment of snoring and sleep apnea depended on CPAP machines, air pumps with face masks. Many patients can not tolerate these and often limit their use. After several years of CPAP being the only recognized treatment, dental appliances came on the market which are easier to tolerate, but can be uncomfortable and may cause problems with tooth movement and jaw position.
In 2010 “Nightlase” was developed and came into clinical practice. Nightlase is a non-surgical laser therapy, using two types of gentle laser light energy to shrink the soft tissue in the back of the throat with out surgery. Three to four 20 minute sessions are usually enough with touch ups after a year for most patients. We use our Fotona Lightwalker laser to administer this gentle laser light energy in the most effective way possible. Dr. Shiffman was the first American trained doctor to provide the therapy. Dr. Shiffman has lectured on this subjectinternationally and has been instrumental in the development of the present procedure protocol and is the sole trainer for the Nightlase procedure in the United States and Canada. Please contact us at 561-737-6400 or visit or website www.boyntonlaserdental.com. We would be happy to schedule a complementary consultation at our Boynton Beach office, located conveniently near Boca Raton, Delray, Lake Worth, Wellington, and the Florida Turnpike.
