INDUSTRY INSIGHT
DENTAL CARE
SPONSORED CONTENT
Ask the Dentist
My husband’s snoring keeps
me up at night. Can you help?
Y
es! We hear this all the time. While your husband’s snoring is
annoying and disrupts your sleep, it’s important to understand
that this may be part of a more dangerous underlying
condition. He may have a sleeping disorder called sleep apnea.
This condition disrupts his breathing during sleep and may be life
threatening.
Sleep apnea is most often defined by snoring, and waking up
suddenly with shortness of breath. Other common conditions
associated with sleep apnea are excessive daytime sleepiness, high
blood pressure, acid reflux, and increased difficulty controlling blood
sugar levels for people with diabetes. You can see that this disorder
could be more serious than just an annoying disruption.
Clinically, sleep apnea is a disorder described as a decrease or
complete stoppage in normal breathing. When breathing stops,
the brain forces the body awake to open the airway. This disorder
becomes serious as the number of respiratory interruptions increases,
and the body, namely the brain, does not receive enough oxygen. The
more serious the problem, the more often your brain wakes you up
to open your airway in order to get more oxygen to vital organs. The
more often you wake up, the more tired you are during the day. Sleep
apnea creates disruptive sleep patterns that lead to an unhealthy
lifestyle and chronic tiredness.
When your doctor or dentist suspects sleep apnea, he or she will
recommend a sleep study. The sleep study will assess the severity
of your sleep apnea by recording the number of times you fail to
receive sufficient oxygen. As a front line of treatment, your doctor
will prescribe a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine.
A CPAP machine is the leading therapy for sleep apnea. At night,
a person suffering from sleep apnea wears a mask attached to the
CPAP. Air is forced into the nose and mouth to ensure a constant flow
of oxygen and an open airway. While the machines effectively treat
sleep apnea, many people complain of discomfort and skin irritation.
In addition, the machines are noisy and may disrupt the sleep of
a significant other. Those who are diagnosed with sleep apnea
understand that therapy is necessary and many simply deal with the
discomfort. However, many patients cannot tolerate their CPAP and
choose not to wear it. There is another option!
Oral Sleep Appliances are custom-designed mouthpieces that
resemble retainers. They adjust the position of the lower jaw to
increase the airway. Patients experience relief from snoring and
breathing interruptions.
Most patients will be referred to a dentist who specializes in
sleep appliances. At Fox Chapel Advanced Dental Care, we walk our
patients through the entire process. The process for designing and
creating an oral sleep appliance includes multiple steps. First, we will
take an impression of the upper and lower arch. Then we will obtain
an impression of the patient’s bite with the jaw slightly forward. We
utilize a certified, FDA-approved laboratory to manufacture the oral
sleep appliance. We will ensure a comfortable and custom fit for each
patient!
Whether your husband has already been diagnosed with sleep
apnea or you suspect he may be suffering from it, be sure to
encourage him to talk to his doctor or dentist and begin making
choices for a healthier and well-rested lifestyle!
If your husband does not have sleep apnea, which hopefully he
does not, we can still help reduce his snoring with a simple oral
appliance. Visit our website, www.foxchapeldentistry.com, or call us at
412.781.3030 for more information. Good luck!
Top Dentist in 2014
VOTED BY PEERS AS ONE
OF PITTSBURGH’S TOP DENTISTS
2008–2015
KEVIN PAWLOWICZ, D.D.S.
LOGAN REITER, D.D.S.
WWW.FOXCHAPELDENTISTRY.COM
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This Industry Insight was written by Dr. Kevin Pawlowicz.
Dr. Pawlowicz practices at Fox Chapel Advanced Dental
Care on Old Freeport Road in Fox Chapel. He has trained at
the Las Vegas and Seattle Institutes and is a member of the
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
and the Academy of Laser Dentistry. You
can learn more about Dr. Pawlowicz on his
website, www.foxchapeldentistry.com.
Fox Chapel Area | Spring 2016 | icmags.com 41