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Konig Center for Cosmetic & Comprehensive Dentistry

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Dental Sleep Medicine: Helping CPAP Intolerant Patients

DENTAL SLEEP MEDICINE: Helping CPAP Intolerant Patients

There are some alarming statistics that pertain to sleep apnea especially in light of the fact that the number of people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is expected to rise based on an aging demographic population and the growing weight gain of our population.

The facts:

1) 40% Americans snore on a regular basis

2) of those, 20 million suffer OSA

3) 90% of those are undiagnosed.

What happens during sleep apnea? Generally speaking, these patients quit breathing during sleep which increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.

Some of you may be asking why I am bringing this up as a dentist. The reason is that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends that oral appliances fabricated by dentists trained in TMJ and sleep medicine, as the first line of treatment for snoring and sleep apnea. This applies for mild to moderate cases who prefer them to CPAP machines.

It has been stated that for those who have been prescribed CPAP machines, 50% are non-compliant after 3 months.

I have personally trained extensively in sleep apnea and TMJ and have been treating these cases for years. To provide accurate care for our patients regarding sleep apnea, I work very closely with many sleep physicians, sleep labs, neurologist, cardiologists and many more.

If you have any questions with regards to sleep apnea and alternatives to CPAP machines, please feel free to call my office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF, a Houston TMJ Dentist and Houston Sleep Dentist, 713-668-2289

posted by Ron Konig at 6:54 AM

Ronald W. Konig, DDS  713-668-2289

Konig Center for Cosmetic & Comprehensive Dentistry
2201 West Holcombe, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77030

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