Often people who suffer from sleep apnea don't even know of their condition. They may realize that they snore, and feel overtired or fatigued, but are unaware of the potentially serious medical problems which may exist.

What's more, those that do know they have sleep apnea, may not know that dentists can now successfully treat it using oral appliances. Until a few years ago, the only treatment for sleep apnea was CPAP, short for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. CPAP involves the wearing of a facial mask, where as, an oral appliance is similar in size, and shape to a night guard, or sports guard. Patients find it much easier to wear an oral appliance, as it's smaller and more comfortable than the CPAP apparatus.

Sleep apnea is responsible for a long list of medical conditions that result from a chronic lack of oxygen. These include, but are not limited to:

• Heart attacks
• Stroke
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Impotence
• Depression
• GERD (acid reflux)
• Bruxism (tooth grinding)
• Severe Anxiety
• Memory and concentration impairment
• Sudden Cardiac Death

Successful management of sleep apnea, greatly improves the quality and length of a patients life.

As a team, we all have family members and friends who have benefitted from the knowledge and skills we've gained. We also feel it's important for everyone to know about the medical-dental connection. If you, your family, or your friends, have any questions on this topic, please don't hesitate to ask. We are very excited to share our knowledge and skills with you and those you care for.