Besides being tired, sleep apnea patients may suffer from a variety of other problems. Many are medical issues and can be labeled: "co-morbidities".

Recently I read the latest blog entry on the website www.IHateCPAP.com. I am often reading up on or studying stuff about Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). I read magazines, go to lectures and courses and visit many websites. This is one report I thought would be good to share. It was an interesting blog about a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirming the theory associating OSA and other sleep disorders with depression.

I am including part of the blog here:

"As part of an ongoing study, the CDC surveyed 9,714 men and women. About 6 percent of the men and 3 percent of the women who participated in the study reported having been diagnosed with OSA. Other participants had not been diagnosed with sleep apnea, but reported symptoms such as snoring, gasping for air and snorting during sleep.

Although men seem at greater risk for developing OSA than women, the study indicates that women face a higher risk for experiencing depression. Among those diagnosed with OSA, depression was more than twice as frequent among men and more than five times as common among women compared to those who did not suffer from OSA.

However, signs of depression were not linked to OSA alone. Researchers found that people whose partners reported they snored or stopped breathing occasionally during sleep were also more likely to show symptoms of depression.

The research did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between sleep disorders and depression. The results of the study appear in the April issue of the journal Sleep". (http://ihatecpap.blogspot.com/ 4/4/2012)

There are lots of things we all deal with regularly that may have roots in a something else. If you are curious if a sleep breathing disorder may be leading to other symptoms you are facing please call us and ask for a free consultation visit to discuss the Dental Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Visit us at todaysdental.com/sleep-apnea or email me at michael@todaysdental.com for more information.

Dr. Michael Glass

With spring here, many children, teens and adults will once again pick up the ball, bring the bat out of seasonal retirement, and lace up their cleats to hit the fields for the return of spring sports! April is National Facial Protection Month, and during this time, we urge our young athletes to play it safe when out on the field. According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, children, high-school athletes and adults will have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out in sporting events this year.

Here are a few ways to ensure your or your child’s mouth’s safety this spring:

1. Wear mouth guards for contact sports such as baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse.
2. Wear a helmet
3. Wear protective eyewear
4. Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin
5. Be alert, even as a spectator

We hope that helps. Protective gear is vital for anyone engaging in tooth or mouth-threatening activities. If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact our office. Stay safe and have fun!

When there are times you are simply too tired during the day and there just aren't any good reasons for it you may be dealing with some type of sleep disorder. Over the next several entries I will be writing about Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the complications and what other things may ail you, some different treatment choices and what we can do together as a team to help our patients manage the disease with Oral Appliance Therapy.

Please visit the Today's Dental Website to see if some of the information on the Sleep Apnea page interests or pertains to you!

OSA is considered a medical problem so the initial diagnosis needs to be made by a licensed Medical Provider, usually a Physician with a specialty of sleep medicine. The process is similar to an orthopedic patient who may need a special brace to stabilize a limb or joint during healing, often the provider of the device is not the physician diagnosing the condition. Dentists help patients manage Sleep Apnea and if properly trained and conscientious during routine visits with patients, they can often recognize patients at risk and initiate the process of medical evaluation and diagnosis. Most medical providers can’t do Oral Appliances, sometimes they have specially trained dental personnel in their office but generally physicians need to refer patients to a Dentist trained in the fabrication and use of oral devices if that is the best therapy choice.

Patients at Today’s Dental; whether initially a patient of the practice or referred in specifically for Obstructive Sleep Apnea therapy, are treated with Oral Appliance Therapy for medically diagnosed OSA.

The process is as complete as any other procedure done in our office but the method is specific for the Sleep Apnea patient. First we have a full patient evaluation visit and compile all the information needed to decide that we may be dealing with OSA and not just annoying snoring. Often our patients have completed the Secure Patient Registration form prior to the initial visit. Normally, we would discuss the disease process and the complications patients experience when dealing with OSA. We discuss the diagnostic evaluation process what can happen if no treatment is done. A discussion is often entered into at this point in the consultation of the different options available for treatment. Only then do we discuss the options available for management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Oral Appliance Therapy. For the sake of today’s posting, all the topics above will be discussed in future blogs. For patients without a diagnosis an overnight sleep study needs to be ordered. Usually our office will help the patient decide the best way to get a sleep study done or we can refer the patient to his or her medical team for their advice.

So we started with the STOP questions, filled out an Epworth questionnaire, decided if the need to look into Sleep Apnea solutions is warranted and discussed different options. This is the beginning; next up let's talk about the diagnostic options, some of the co-morbidities (other diseases that patients with OSA are also managing) and consequences of not treating this serious medical problem.

By the way, don't wait for a blog to get you started. If you are experiencing any of the signs or symptoms of OSA and would like to know more right away call the office now!

Dr. Michael Glass

michael@todaysdental.com

You water the garden three times a week, you change your car's oil every three months, and you replace the batteries in your smoke detectors once a year. Your teeth need to see your dentist on a regular schedule, too.

While daily oral hygiene habits are essential to good oral health, professional dental cleanings at our office ensure your teeth are treated to a deeper level of cleaning. We recommend for most of our patients to have a checkup at least every six months. In addition to a thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth, these regular visits help us detect and prevent the onset of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. During your visit, we’ll check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue. We’ll also check old fillings and restorations, as these can wear away over time from constant chewing, grinding, or clenching.

If you are predisposed to oral diseases, you may need to visit our office more often than every six months. Factors at play in these diseases include age, pregnancy, tobacco use, medical conditions (such as diabetes, dry mouth, or HIV infection), along with how well you take care of your teeth on a daily basis.

Make sure your teeth get the professional attention they deserve – If you’re overdue for your next cleaning, check with our office to schedule an appointment!