According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep apnea affects more than 18 million Americans, the majority of whom remain undiagnosed. Dr. Jeffrey Doneskey, Oral Medicine Specialist and founder of The Sleep Apnea & Facial Pain Center in Bellevue, reports that most of the symptoms associated with sleep apnea are easy to recognize and include things like daytime sleepiness, snoring, gasping on awakening, frequent awakenings, high blood pressure, and cognitive impairment. However, Doneskey also states that sleep disorders are strongly interrelated and most, if not all obstructive sleep apnea patients also experience nighttime tooth clenching, a condition which causes heavy wear on the patient’s lower front teeth. “Nighttime clenching is often associated with headaches, jaw pain, jaw popping and locking and other TMJ-related symptoms. People who show evidence of this type of tooth wear may also have sleep apnea as well,” says Doneskey.
According to Doneskey, the strong interrelationship between sleep apnea and nighttime teeth clenching impacts what type of treatment options should be considered. At this time, the most common treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a medical breathing device called a CPAP. CPAP, which stands for continuous positive airway pressure, delivers air through a mask worn over the nose or face during sleep in order to help maintain an open airway. While CPAP can provide an effective solution there are many reasons why some people are unwilling or unable to use CPAP.
“Restless sleepers often have difficulty getting comfortable and keeping the mask on during the night,” says Doneskey. “Others have trouble maintaining a seal around the mask and must use chin straps to keep their mouth closed while asleep. And that doesn’t take into consideration the lifestyle issues, such as the awkwardness of showing up at your girlfriends house with your CPAP, or the challenge of traveling with it,” says Doneskey.
Doneskey reports that while CPAP remains the most common treatment, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine now equally weights oral appliance therapy with CPAP for moderate cases.
“When you consider the relationship between these sleep disorders and the complexity of treating both, alternative oral appliance therapy offers some real benefits,” says Doneskey. “People who are experiencing clenching, headaches, sore jaws and poor sleep should consider this a wake-up call that they may also have sleep apnea. As for Obstructive Sleep Apnea patients, many doctors now consider oral appliance therapy as an excellent first choice, particularly when ease of use, effectiveness, and the patient’s willingness to comply with treatment is considered,” he adds.
At The Sleep Apnea & Facial Pain Center, a specialty clinic that helps patients identify sleep disorders and manage Obstructive Sleep Apnea and associated TMJ issues, Dr. Doneskey has found great success and high levels of patient satisfaction with a new oral appliance called the SilentPartner™. The SilentPartner is a jaw-friendly FDA-approved oral airway dilator that Doneskey himself helped develop. In addition to keeping the airway open, the SilentPartner eliminates snoring in most patients, while protecting the teeth of patients who clench during their sleep.
“It’s an especially appropriate solution for apnea patients who have simply given up on the use of their CPAP because of their inability or unwillingness to use it, and for those who continue to struggle with unmanaged nighttime clenching and its associated symptoms,” says Doneskey.
Because of the interrelationship between these sleep disorders, Dr. Doneskey recommends that anyone with evidence of lower front tooth wear and sleep apnea symptoms should consider testing for sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious, potentially deadly health concern that requires medical treatment. The good news is that today, both disorders can be managed effectively with oral appliance treatment.
To learn more about oral appliance therapy or sleep apnea visit www.doneskey.com or call The Sleep Apnea & Facial Pain Center at 425-646-6409.
