Question of the Week: “Does a person need to see a medical doctor before seeing you for a mouth device for snoring and sleep apnea?”

Seeing a medical doctor before visiting Dental Sleep Medicine and TMD Center of Illinois for treatment of snoring or sleep apnea is not necessary.

If you have not seen a medical doctor for treatment of snoring or have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea, come see us at Dental Sleep Medicine and TMD Center of Illinois. We can direct you to a medical doctor who is knowledgeable in dental sleep medicine who will help determine if you need treatment for snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.

Call Dental Sleep Medicine and TMD Center of Illinois at (630) 369-5508 or visit http://www.tiredofsnoring.com for information on what snoring and sleep apnea are or help in determining treatment of snoring or obstructive sleep apnea today.

Question of the Week – “What about anti-snoring devices that you can get from the internet, and what are the dangers of using those TV type devices?”

Good question! Yes, there are dangers in purchasing anti-snoring devices from the internet! The number one danger is not talking with your physician about your snoring to find out if you have obstructive sleep apnea.

Save the money you might spend on TV type devices. They can create problems over providing solutions.

If you are looking for help with better sleep and no more snoring, call Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois at (630) 369-5508 today. We will determine whether or not you are struggling with sleep apnea and whether or not Oral Appliance Therapy is right for you. Visit http://www.tiredofsnoring.com for more information on the important and treatable condition called obstructive sleep apnea.

Question of the Week – “My boyfriend was not given oral appliance therapy as an option for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Does that mean he cannot have one made?”

The most common treatment prescribed for obstructive sleep apnea is CPAP Therapy. Many doctors do not realize there are other options such as Oral Appliance Therapy available.

Visit Dental Sleep & TMD Center of Illinois. Consult with us and let us determine whether or not Oral Appliance Therapy is an option for treatment of your obstructive sleep apnea. Call us at (630) 369-5508. For more information on how you can stop snoring and start sleeping better, visit http://www.tiredofsnoring.com.

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.

Important! Snoring is a health risk!

Snoring is a health risk! Are you embarrassed or annoyed by your own snoring or someone else’s snoring? Do you snicker when people talk about snoring? It is no laughing matter! People who snore may have a medical condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Severe OSA patients have a 40% greater chance of dying earlier than their peers. It’s time to do something about it!

Here are 11 health risks linked to snoring and apnea.

• Stroke – The intensity of snoring and apnea can lead to risk of carotid atherosclerosis.
• Heart disease – We know apnea is linked to cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and possible heart attacks.
• Arrhythmias – Long term snoring can develop irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia.
• Gerd – Throat closure during apnea causes pressure changes that can suck the contents of the stomach back up into the esophagus.
• Injury – Sleep deprivation can cause driving accidents.
• Mental – Sometimes just crankiness is witnessed, but all too often so is depression and anxiety.
• Headaches – Habitual snorers are likely to have morning headaches.
• Nocturia – Bathroom breaks two or more times during the night is called nocturia.
• Less satisfaction – Men who snore loudly and have OSA have higher levels of impotence.
• Fetal complications – Pregnant women who snore can have an increased risk of fetal complications.
• Excess weight – Half of overweight people have sleep apnea.

Is this post your wake-up call? If you snore, it’s important that you to talk to your physician today. It may add years to your life!