What is Dental Sleep Medicine?

Dental Sleep Medicine is an emerging discipline in the field of clinical dentistry. Because dentists are educated in conditions relating to overall health, we have the opportunity to be the first line in defense against other disorders that affect our patients’ wellbeing.

Sleeping well plays a vital role in your health. Interrupted sleep is a culprit that manifests in a number of health consequences. Proper sleep is essential to the brain’s ability to recycle and recharge itself, and integral for the body to heal and repair itself from the stress of daily life. Optimal immune function and cognitive processes, like memory and speech, can also be impaired by poor sleep habits.

The most common sleep interruption is snoring–which is perfectly natural. When we sleep, our muscles in the neck and throat area relax. The tongue and throat tissues can narrow the airway, which can interrupt sleep. Some forms like snoring are not harmful (but probably annoying to the bed mate), but complete blockage of the airway can create problems. While snoring might be the result of allergies or a common cold, it is more often caused by anatomical and behavioral factors. Breathing interruptions during sleep can lead to a serious condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Please watch the following (it may be disturbing to some viewers):

Consider the following:

• 40% of adults older than 40 years of age snore when asleep
• 87 million Americans report snoring, 45 million of those snore every night
• 9% of men and 4% of women exhibit signs of OSA upon testing
• 50 to 70 million people in the United States suffer from sleep disorders
• Sleep Apnea is widely under-diagnosed disease in the US

Warning signs for OSA are:

• Chronic snoring
• Gasping or choking episodes during sleep
• Depression & unexplained personality or cognitive changes
• Chronic Fatigue and Somnolence

Certain physical attributes can cause OSA. Some patients have large tonsils, large head and neck anatomy or are obese. All of these contribute to sleep disordered breathing. Studies show that as many as 30 million Americans are victims of obstructive sleep apnea and that patients with OSA are 4 times more likely to have heart attacks.