Obstructive Sleep Apnea
During sleep, your muscles relax, including those that control your tongue and those in your throat. The soft tissue at the back of your throat can sag, narrowing and constricting the airway, leading to obstructive sleep apnea.Obstuctive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious and chronic medical condition that can affect your sleep, health and quality of life. Common signs seen in OSA are snoring, restless sleeping, cessation of breathing for short periods of time, morning headaches and daytime fatigue. OSA has been linked to hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, work and driving related accidents, and placing strain on relationships between bed partners and family members.
Treatment
Treatment is commonly initially sought with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine of CPAP. Many patients find this uncomfortable with the noise, the hose preventing sleep positions, dry mouth, claustrophobia, inability to travel, intimacy with their partner and symptoms of sinusitis.
The good news is that in many cases treatment can be treated as effectively with a dental device that pushes the jaw forward and keeps the airway open, known as continuous open airway therapy (COAT). Working with your Pulmonologist and or Ears, Nose and Throat physician we can work as a team to get you OSA controlled
WHY CHOOSE THE ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGEONS AT SOUTHWEST ORAL SUGERY?
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons treat patients with OSA from a dental, medical and surgical standpoint. Not everyone is a candidate for COAT therapy but this is not where our services end. Effective treatment can surgical procedure that include telegnathic/orthognathic surgery to advance the jaws and open the airway. With a true understanding of the problem and enjoying a collegial relationship with our medical colleagues we offer a comprehensive treatment for OSA.