SYMPTOMS: A Poor Night's Sleep

If you have difficulty getting a good night's sleep and experience constant drowsiness, you are not alone. Over 75 million people suffer from sleep disorders and/or snoring. A lack of sleep affects your behavior, energy, and emotions, which will lead to a slow deterioration of your health.

Consider the following:

• 90% of people who snore experience apneic disorders
• Hypertension is found in over 50% of patients
• Untreated increased vascular pressure in the brain could lead to heart attacks and strokes
• 60% of males and 40% of females snore who are over 60 years of age
• Sleep apnea can lead to memory loss and intellectual deterioration
• Drowsiness is the cause of 200,000+ motor vehicle accidents a year

SNORING

During sleep, the muscles of the body relax. When you sleep on your back, the relaxed tongue and soft palate occlude together to constrict the airway. The constricted airway vibrates as air moves into the lungs resulting in a snoring sound. Snoring is more prominent in men than women and as we age muscle tone decreases closing the airway more easily. Improper breathing while sleeping can indicate other medical problems causing pathological changes in the cardiopulmonary system and should be evaluated by a physician.

SLEEP DISORDERS

The constriction of the airway passage caused by the tongue and soft palate that interrupts breathing is known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). In some individuals, the airway becomes so constricted that breathing stops and oxygen cannot reach the lungs. This cessation of breathing results in a lowering of the oxygen in the blood, and an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. A second cause of breathing cessation caused by the brain not sending signals to the diaphragm and chest walls to move, is called Central Sleep Apnea. When breathing stops for more than 10 seconds, the episode is called Apnea. When this occurs repeatedly during the night, the individual has a poor night’s sleep, awakes tired, restless, often feels drowsy throughout the day and is unable to be attentive at their job.

If you are suffering from OSA, which is a life threatening medical disorder, a medical diagnosis and evaluation is made by a physician, prior to orthotic therapy. After Dr. Keller evaluates the patient’s snoring and sleep habits, appointments are made to design the appropriate oral appliances. These appliances maintain the lower jaw in a forward position to help maintain an open airway which results in a relaxed, sound sleep and stops the snoring. The appliance is 85% to 90% effective in controlling snoring and 80% in treating mild cases of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Once treatment begins, as a trained specialist, Dr. Keller can fit the patient with a custom-tailored, comfortable dental sleep appliance to ensure a good night’s sleep. Also, the dental sleep appliance may replace or be used in conjunction with patients who are using a CPAP machine.

ADVANTAGES OF ORAL DENTAL APPLIANCES:

High compliance:	88% of patients feel comfortable enough to use it nightly
High effectiveness:	91% of patients report improvement
High acceptance:	96% of patients report that they will continue to use their specialized appliance.

RESULTS:

Our goal is to stop the patient from snoring and give them a more restful night of sleep. For most patients, sleeping partners will only hear silence, not snoring, and both awake rested and refreshed.

To help return the patient to normal function, whether it be for head and neck pain considerations and/or a suitable appliance, individualized treatment care is provided by Dr. Keller.