OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

Sleep Disorders….& Dentistry?

A message about OSA from Dr. Jenkins:
At Designing Smiles our focus is on the whole person as opposed to what might be considered mainstream stereo types that dentists exist to fill teeth. Everyday our goal is to positively impact our patient’s lives in a way that can many times effectively change the lives of those that we touch. Of course it is very easy to imagine the impact on an individual when we transform a smile with one of the many Cosmetic options available to us today BUT just imagine if you will the impact on all of us when now we can take an active role in literally saving lives as dental professionals.

As I began to study Sleep Disorders, in particular Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), I was shocked to find just how wide spread the condition was and how critical that it was for these patients to be reached and educated. My first thought was that my patient base needed to be reached which would be fairly easy as they would be informed at their regular Continuing Care appointments. The next level of this effort would be to reach out to those in my community by a multitude of options ranging from connecting with the medical world and a variety of media outlets in order to inform those that did not necessarily have access to this vital information.

So here is the multifaceted problem that we as health care professionals are faced with. The affected population is enormous and the level of awareness is extremely low. At this point there is essentially one truly accepted form of treatment that is promoted by the medical community and though effective, it is not acceptable to a high percentage of diagnosed and or undiagnosed patients. In fact a large number of affected patients choose not to seek medical care and or diagnosis as they already know the likely treatment would in their mind be worse than what they envision the problem to be

SO HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS……A very high percentage of Mild to Moderate OSA cases can be treated effectively with the use of a variety of Custom fabricated Oral Devices that essentially position the jaw forward creating a better tongue position that helps to open the airway and allow for better oxygen flow. Education, it appears, will be the biggest challenge as dentistry begins to assist the Medical world in the treatment of this very serious and widespread problem.

Contact Designing Smiles with any of your questions
or to schedule an appointment.