May 27, 2019

Sleep Apnea Can Have Deadly Consequences

The condition is on the rise because the most frequent cause is obesity, which continues its unrelenting climb among American adults.

By Jane E. Brody

Although the woman in her 50s had been effectively treated for depression, she remained plagued by symptoms that often accompany it: fatigue, sleepiness and lethargy, even though she thought she was getting enough sleep.

With depression no longer causing her persistent symptoms, her psychiatrist advised her to consult a sleep specialist.

Sure enough, a night in the sleep lab at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine revealed that while the woman was supposedly asleep, she experienced . . .

Click here to read the full article . . . 

April 17, 2019

How to treat malocclusions and sleep disorders concurrently

Learn about this combination therapy with clear aligners and the Aligner Sleep Appliance.

By David Crumpton, DDS

In recent years, our practice has been actively screening all our patients for known dental signs and symptoms associated with sleep disorders. These include patients who brux or grind their teeth, report they feel tired throughout the day, have a retrognathic mandible and suffer from malocclusions, among other signs.

Clear aligner therapy is one treatment we provide to address malocclusions. Knowing the correlation between malocclusions and sleep disorders, we had a dilemma in deciding what to address first. Fortunately, I discovered an ideal solution to this dilemma: combination therapy allows me to treat my patients with clear aligners and the Aligner Sleep Appliance^® from SleepArchiTx™ to address both conditions concurrently. . .

Click here to read full article. . .

February 18, 2019

Is cone beam technology worth the cost?

By Lauren Burns

Learn how a CBCT system could have a positive impact on your ROI and practice scope.

 

According to the FDA, cone beam CT systems have important roles in many dental subfields, including implants, endo, ortho and sleep breathing disorders. But is the major cost of a CBCT system (usually valued between $80,000 and $120,000) worth it?

John Flucke, DDS, says yes. . .

Click here to read full article. . . 

February 2019

Performing Orthodontics While Treating OSA

Comprehensive treatment planning is essential to avoid malocclusion

Payam Ataii, DMD

According to practice parameters published jointly by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM), oral appliance therapy is an effective treatment option for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).1,2  The parameters note that when patients are diagnosed with OSA, dentists should provide them with a “custom, titratable appliance over non-custom oral devices” as an alternative to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. . .

Click here to read full article. . .

 

March 26, 2019

Is Spring The Worst Season For Sleep?

Spring, particularly early spring, is such a weird time of year.  It’s like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get.  In some parts of the country right now, there’s snow on the ground.  In others, the trees are starting to sprout leaves.  In some areas, you can even get both!  For many people, the onset of spring means worse sleep.  Let us count the reasons why:. . .

Click here to read full article. . .

March 2019

When Is Snoring OK?

Nearly half of all American adults—or about 90 million people—are regular snorers. It is frustrating to bedmates and the source of marital tension. Although it’s common, it is not normal: All snoring implies some degree of turbulent airflow during sleep due to an obstruction in the breathing pathways. Sometimes, this can be caused by a cold or allergies. But other times, it is a signal of a health issue known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). . .

Click here to read full article. . . 

June 8, 2016

Lighting color affects sleep, wakefulness

Green light promotes sleep while blue light delays it, find researchers

Source:University of Oxford
Read the original article here.

A research team from Oxford University have shown how different colours of light could affect our ability to sleep.

Continue reading “Green Light Instead of Blue?”

November 19, 2018

How to Expand Your Dental Practice with Dental Sleep Treatments

A dentist shares his tried-and-true internal and external marketing techniques. Use these when adding sleep apnea services.

By Payam Ataii, DMD, MBA

As a dentist for over 20 years, I often think about how to expand my practice. Many of my patients have been with me for more than a decade, so I have already taken care of virtually all their restoration needs and gotten them on a good hygiene path. Without additional expansion of services, many of my patients would just be in maintenance mode and my practice would not grow.

At the same time, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the word “airway” are becoming very hot topics in the dental field. So much so that the American Dental Association recently adopted a policy statement outlining the role of dentists in the treatment of OSA and other sleep-breathing disorders. . .

Click to read full article…

October 10, 2011

Really? The Claim: Sleep Apnea Causes Sexual Problems

By Anahad O’Connor

THE FACTS
Sleep apnea causes disrupted breathing in the middle of the night for more than 12 million Americans. Fatigue, high blood pressure and weight gain are some of its more familiar symptoms.

But a growing body of research has also found that sleep apnea can be a drain on intimacy, causing erectile dysfunction in men and loss of libido in women. . .

Click here to read full article. . . 

5 Ways to Wipe Out Winter Tiredness

Do you find it harder to roll out of bed in winter when the temperature drops and the mornings are darker? If so, you’re not alone. Many people feel tired and sluggish during winter.

Here are 5 energy-giving solutions that may help – and some conditions that can sometimes be the cause.

1. Let in some sunlight

As the days become shorter, your sleep and waking cycles may become disrupted. The lack of sunlight means your brain produces more of a hormone called melatonin, which makes you sleepy. . .

Click here to read full article. . .