The three main classes of sleep apnea are mild, moderate and severe. Even though there are different classes of sleep apnea they all need to be treated. In mild sleep apnea cases a person can stop breathing as many as 15 times per hour while they sleep.
3000 people a year die from sleep apnea
Sleep Apnea has been linked to low testosterone, depression, coronary disease and dementia. Treatment for sleep apnea can lower blood pressure which can lower your risk for many cardiovascular conditions.
Learning to spot some of the signs of sleep apnea can save you or your loved ones life. Here are just a few of the signs to watch out for:
Wearing of the teeth
Insomnia
Snoring
Large Neck
Overweight
Waking many times to go to the bathroom at night
Sinus or allergy problems
Difficulty swallowing large pills
People should realize that these symptoms are present in everyone who has sleep apnea not just those diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. If left untreated even mild or moderate sleep apnea may get worse and put you or your loved ones life at risk
To learn about the alternative methods to treat sleep apnea such as Nightlase or our sleep apnea oral appliance therapy contact our office to setup your initial consultation.
After a diagnosis by a Sleep Specialist and sleep clinic results, your physician may give you a diagnosis of “Mild to Moderate Sleep Apnea”. These conditions can be treated either by a CPAP machine or removible dental appliances with a prescription from your sleep specialist. Most medical insurance companies will cover these appliances, but a pre- approval is necessary. The appliances fit your upper and lower jaws and attach together to reposition your jaw. Some trials are necessary to get the exact position needed.
Most snoring is considered a sleep disturbance, and is usually caused by your lower jaw moving and partially closing off the airway at the back of the throat, Dental Snoring appliances reposition the jaw to allow maximum air flow and reduce or eliminate snoring. Each case is evaluated for the type of appliance that would work the best.
Nightlase Treatment is a patent-pending, fast, non-invasive and friendly way of increasing the quality of a patients sleep. Nightlase lessens the effects of sleep apnea and decreases the severity of snoring through the use of gentle, superficial, Erbium:Yag laser light. No anesthesia is used in this procedure. Nightlase treatment causes a tightening of the tissue and leads to a reduction in the sound of the patients snoring and a lessening of the affects of sleep apnea. Research has shown that Nightlase reduces and attenuates snoring and provides an effective, non-invasive way to lessen the affects of sleep apnea. Nightlase requires no device to be worn during sleep, involves no chemical treatment, and no anesthesia. It is and gentle and easy for the patient and their loved ones to regain a good nights sleep. Call us with any questions that you may have.
Dr Shiffman and his Boynton Laser Dental Center always strive to be on the cutting edge of laser and dental technology and to be your Boynton Beach Dentist.