Effective Treatment
Dental Sleep Medicine Continued
Treatment of sleep disorders is an interdisciplinary undertaking as there have been approximately 100 distinct clinical sleep disorders identified. Some of these disorders treated by dentists include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), nighttime tooth grinding (Bruxism) and craniofacial pain disorders. Sleep disruption due to obstruction of the airway may cause significant changes in an individual’s biologic and neurologic functions resulting in mood alterations, memory difficulties and reduced vigilance causing increased risk of work and driving related injuries.
Long term sleep apnea is known to be a factor in the development of cardiovascular disease, heart failure, stroke and high blood pressure. Snoring and tooth grinding, in addition to disrupting the individuals sleep, may also cause significant relationship stress. Chronic pain conditions such as TMJ or fibromyalgia may also be affected by obstructive sleep apnea, as it can impair pain processing and may result in an increase in painful symptoms.
Children commonly exhibit sleep disorders which are often overlooked and go untreated. Failure to correct airway deficiencies in children is known to cause significant adverse growth modifications in the jaws and skull.
Our sleep appliance evaluation incorporates echopharyngometry to safely and easily evaluate air dimensions, jaw muscle electromyography and computerized bite recording to reduce adverse impact of the dental appliance on the jaw muscles and temporomandibular joints. These procedures allow fabrication of the most comfortable and effective dental sleep appliances currently available. We hope you will choose our office to assist you with your sleep disorder treatment.
