Sleep Apnea Management for Kids & Adults

Dental Sleep Medicine for Children and Adults

Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder. When someone stops breathing repeatedly during sleep, he or she has sleep apnea. There are several types of sleep apnea, but the most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. This condition occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleep and block your airway. The most noticeable sign of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring, but many snorers do not have sleep apnea.

Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
• Loud snoring
• Observed episodes of breathing cessation during sleep
• Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath
• Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat
• Morning headache
• Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
• High blood pressure that’s difficult to control

Although anyone can develop obstructive sleep apnea, it is most common among overweight middle-aged or older adults. Treatment often involves the use of a specialized device (called a C-PAP or B-PAP) to keep the airway open with continuous positive air pressure and enable normal breathing during sleep. C-PAP/B-PAP users have to wear masks that must be cleaned regularly, along with tubes and filters that must be replaced regularly. Many users find the devices uncomfortable to use. Thankfully, modern dentistry and orthodontics can often help.

Oral appliances, such as night guards, are a comfortable alternative for some people with sleep apnea. These devices are designed to keep the throat open, either by positioning the jaw forward, which can relieve snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, or by repositioning the tongue

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

1. Sleep apnea is a disease that affects both adults and children.
2. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which a person stops breathing for at least 10 seconds. Sleep apnea is usually due to complete or partial obstruction of the airway in the back of the throat.
3. If untreated, sleep apnea can be life threatening.
4. Orthodontists can alter the oral anatomy by using orthodontics alone and in conjunction with orthodontic surgery.
5. There are 18 million adult Americans affected by OSA. Yet 85 % go undiagnosed and 80% remain untreated.
6. OSA/Snoring is associated with ADD, ADHD, bed wetting, failure to thrive, memory, behavior, lower IQ scores, colic, night terrors, thumb sucking, and grinding.
7. Orthodontists can screen, evaluate, refer, and treat patients. But only a medical doctor can diagnose OSA.
8. Severe apnea causes a 30 % decrease in 18-year life expectancy vs. normal patients and about 25% decrease in 18-year life expectancy vs. mild sleep apnea.
9. Sleep apnea can increase motor vehicle accidents.
10. Clinical exams are performed for the evaluation of sleep apnea. These exams consist of head posture, facial examination, nasal examination (external and internal), oral examination, and tongue examination.