Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is believed to afflict approximately 30 million Americans.  Numerous health risks are associated with OSA, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes type II, cardiac arrest, stroke and fibromyalgia.  While many people are aware that they snore, not all snorers have OSA.  Although socially unacceptable for one’s bed partner, snoring alone is not a health issue.  However, snoring is one of the predisposing factors of OSA.  The health issues involving OSA are related to the level of oxygenation which is maintained throughout sleep.  In other words, if your oxygen saturation drops, stresses are applied to various organ systems, and these in turn can lead to numerous systemic diseases.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), a physician’s organization, the initial treatment modality for mild to moderate OSA can be an oral appliance.  These appliances reposition the lower jaw in a forward direction, thus holding the base of the tongue away from the pharynx.  This allows for continuous air flow during sleep, and snoring will also diminish or cease.  While an oral appliance is comfortable and easily tolerated, the standard of care for all levels of OSA is a properly adjusted CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure).  When a CPAP is worn, OSA is 100% eliminated. However, as compliance is often low with a CPAP, the AASM has recognized that an oral appliance is often more effective due to higher compliance rates.

“Although not as efficacious as CPAP, oral appliances are indicated for use in patients with mild to moderate OSA who prefer OA’s to CPAP, or who do not respond to CPAP, are not appropriate candidates for CPAP, or who fail treatment attempts with CPAP or treatment with behavioral measures such as weight loss or sleep position change.”
SLEEP, vol. 29, No. 2, 2006, page 242

Dr. Bill Gerlach is actively involved in sleep disordered breathing and dentistry’s role in it.  As a member of The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Gerlach performs screening for snoring and OSA using a Home Monitoring Device.  While not as effective as a report from a sleep center, this device accurately depicts one’s snoring, oxygen levels and apnea incidences.  If you are found to have severe OSA, you will be referred to a Board Certified physician for further treatment.  As many people have mild or moderate OSA, or they are simply snorers, we have a solution for you.  Furthermore, if you have tried CPAP and found it is not for you, give us a call.  We can help!