51% of Americans admit sleepiness interferes with work, one-third do not get a good night’s sleep, and 23% of married couples sleep apart. Snoring is not only annoying and divisive, it can progress into life-threatening Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA, Lindberg, American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine, 1999).
Apnea means absence of breathing, and the obstruction comes from the tongue plugging the throat. People with OSA are 23.3 times more likely to die from a heart attack than those without OSA. Moderate to severe OSA patients have a 15 times higher risk of motor vehicle accidents (Horstmann, Sleep, 2000).
The father of sleep medicine states: “Cardiovascular disease, stroke, and sudden death head a long list of sleep-related ills and deaths: weight gain, GERD, asthma, diabetes type II, impotence, fatigue, and traffic fatalities” (Dement, JAMA, March, 1993). Known predictors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea include:
- Large neck: size 17 for and size 15 for women
- Reports of gasping or loud snoring by bed partner
- Overbite, tongue with scalloped border, sagging under chin
- High blood pressure
- Overweight by 10 pounds or more
- Narrow upper jaw and receded upper jaw
Whole Health Dental Center screens for sleep disorders because they are treatable and preventable. The tongue is not the culprit, but a victim pushed into the throat by small jaws, crowded teeth, deep overbite, and uneven head bones.
Snoring can be easily helped by oral appliance therapy (OAT) plus positive lifestyle changes can help. An Oral Appliance keeps the lower jaw forward and the tongue out of the throat during sleep. Gentle dental arch expansion appliances can make room for the tongue to take its normal position naturally. To assess your need level please see the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.
The diagnosis of OSA is made by a medical doctor using a sleep test. Confirmed OSA is treated with C-PAP machine. However, many patients cannot tolerate C-PAP machines. In mild-moderate cases, Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) can be a comparable alternative to C-PAP (Gostsopoulos, Sleep, 2004). OAT is filed as a medical claim, provided that the medical necessity is established by sleep test. We recommend you consult My Sleep Test for a sleep test done right in your own bed.
- A mouth with enough room for the tongue is vital to sleep and wellness. For a consultation on how dental and lifestyle answers can help your snoring and C-PAP intolerance, please call us (703) 385-6425.
- 1/3 of heart disease patients and 65-80% of stroke patients have OSA
- 80% of OSA patients going for sleep tests have Erectile Dysfunction
- OSA patients get diabetes 5 times more often compared to general population: 15% compared to 3%
- Excessive daytime sleepiness is key symptom in men; depression and morning headaches in women
- OSA patients are 2 times as likely to be in car accidents, and 3-5 times more likely to suffer serious injury
Restless legs, limb movements, and teeth grinding are often found in OSA patients
