What Is Sleep Apnea?
Both dentist and physicians alike have come to a conclusion that sleep apnea is no longer a disorder that can be ignored. Over 90 million Americans suffer from snoring, a major indication of sleep apnea. Studies also show that 60% of men and 40% of women over the age of fourty have a tendency to suffer from sleep apnea. The risk of sleep apnea has not been thoroughly discussed by the public too well. But as the baby boomers age, this problem is starting to manifest itself more and more to the public. The incidence of truck drivers falling asleep at the wheel, air traffic controllers not able to stay alert during their jobs or individuals suffering from heart attacks while sleeping have never been thoroughly connected to a condition known as sleep apnea.
The aging population is more prone to sleep apnea due to the changes in tissue structure inside the throat as we age. Sleep apnea is the interruption of breathing for approximately ten to sometime even over sixty seconds during sleep which prevents the individual from having a much needed, rejuvenating sleep. The number of these interuption per hour determines the severity of the sleep apnea condition. Less than 5 events per hour would be normal; 5-19 per hour would be mild sleep apnea; 20-39 would be moderate; and finally, over 40 events would be severe. Only a sleep study can determine definitively if there is a sleep apnea problem.
The position of the tongue while a person is asleep is a major factor in sleep apnea. When a person falls into deep sleep on their back, the jaw and tongue muscles relax causing them to shift back against the posterior wall of the throat. If the airway is not clear during sleep, snoring will occur. When the airway becomes completely blocked, sleep apnea occurs, a condition known as Obstrutive Sleep Apnea or OSA. Case studies from both dentist and physicians have concluded that a simple dental appliance that holds the tongue from going back can help and prevent sleep apnea.
Because of the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood stream as a result of interupted breathing, sleep apnea can be a major contributing factor in causing high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and possibly stroke and heart attacks. Sleep apnea can no longer be taken lightly. We all know the late, great football star Reggie White who was a victim to a stroke during sleep. Sleep apnea could easily be treated with a simple dental sleep appliances that is fabricated by a trained dental professional.
How Is Sleep Apnea and Snoring Treated?
Currently, the medical standard in treating sleep apnea is by using a breathing machine known as a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). It has been shown that a CPAP is almost 100% effective in alleviating this mallady if used properly. But studies have shown that 70% of most sleep apnea patient find that the CPAP and its mask to be intolerable for use in everyday life. Some patients have described using a CPAP machine as the same sensation as sticking your head out of a car window while going 30-40 miles an hour.
As an alternative solution, dental oral appliance can be an effective way to treat sleep apnea. A sleep apnea oral appliance is a small device which is similar to an orthodontic retainer. This oral appliance is worn to help prevent delicate tissues of the throat from descending and blocking a patient’s airway. By positioning the lower jaw forward and pressing on the tounge, the patient's airway remains open, therefore, allowing comfortable breathing. Snoring and sleep apnea will cease or decrease as long as the appliance is worn, making it an effective treatment for both.
CPAP mask by Resmed
How Can Sleep Apnea Oral Appliance Benefit Me? An Effective Alternative to CPAP Intolerance.
Somnomed Appliance
Sleep apnea oral appliance benefits people with sleep apnea that are CPAP intolerant. The most important reason is that it is compact, easy to travel with and less cumbersome than a CPAP machine. The American Sleep Disorder Association reports that sleep apnea oral appliance therapy reduces sleep apnea and snoring between 73%-100%. Patients feel well rested and receive a good night sleep, therefore, benefiting from good health that comes from a restful, rejuvenating sleep.
How Do I Know If Sleep Apnea Therapy Is Right For Me?
It is very simple, if you have trouble sleeping and waking up tired, you should be evaluated for sleep apnea. There is too much health risk in ignoring sleep apnea. You will be prescribed to have a sleep study done where you will go to a facility to study how you sleep at night. This will confirm definitively if you suffer from sleep apnea. Once you are diagnosed, then your physician or dentist can recommend either if a CPAP or a dental sleep apnea device is right for you. Whichever option is right for you, you are then reevaluated with a home sleep study to confirm if the device is treating your sleep apnea effectively.
Make an appointment today with Dr. Mungcal in Downtown Los Angeles and see If Sleep Apnea Therapy is the right option for you to treat your sleeping disorder!!
We are located in the Bunker Hill area of beautiful Downtown Los Angeles and been established there since 1992. We are next door to some of the most recognizable landmarks in our city so its very easy to find us. We're right across the Moca Museum, next door to the Wells Fargo Buildings, and a block away from the Disney Concert Hall. Being located in the heart of Los Angeles, we could easily be accessed by patients coming from all over the basin, i.e. Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Toluca Lake, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Orange County and all the way from Newport Beach.
Validated parking is available in our building.
