Annual Dental Sleep Medicine Conference Highlights

I recently attended and spoke at the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) 23rd Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. I’ve been attending these annual meetings for many years. Here are a few interesting bullet points from this year’s meeting:

•  The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in firefighters, police officers and truck drivers is believed to be about 25-33% with about 85% of these undiagnosed! This number doesn’t compare to the 2-4% suspected OSA documented from quite outdated info. Unfortunately, if all the suspected truck drivers were being evaluated and taken off the roads until successful apnea treatment was given, our economy would suffer. This has delayed federal guidelines. For more information, check out this link:

http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2013/10/16/Obamaquietlysignsbillrequiringsleepdisorderrulenotguidance.aspx

• Living with apnea is similar to other chronic conditions and deserves constant attention. Healthy life changes in eating and exercise can only help long term outcomes.

• Sleep issues  are a top contributor to the onset of depression.

• We are getting closer to having the availability of compliance-monitoring chips that can be embedded into oral appliances. Once passed through the lengthy government approval systems, these may dramatically impact many OSA sufferers especially in patients such as truck drivers, etc. Some of this technology has been available already in Europe since 2011.

• I’m excited about a new oral device on the market and will try to get more info once available. The MicrO2 removable and changeable trays made at different distances eliminating the need for screwdrivers and other somewhat challenging adjustment hardware is exciting – so clear and light and barely noticeable!

• Teeth grinding or bruxism continues to show a link with OSA although many more studies are needed to confirm current views.

• It has been reported that even with the lowest definitions of compliance, CPAP compliance is approximately 50%.

• A new type of surgery for apnea patients is on the horizon. It is an implantable hypoglossal nerve stimulator. It will be reserved at this point for select cases of apnea sufferers who have failed oral appliance therapy and CPAP therapy. More information on this coming in the future.
• For kids at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, Type ”A” and Type “B” kids tend to show different patterns of symptoms. Type “A” tend to have attention issues, no sleepiness/the latter – more daytime sleepiness. Even the slightest apnea scores are significant for kids and treatment should be considered. Neurocognitive impairment delay can occur. If left untreated, the following can result: behavioral disturbances, learning deficits and metabolic changes. Most importantly these changes may not be completely reversible. Bottom-line: the sooner kids with suspected apnea are treated, the better.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. We are extremely passionate about helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.