Sleep & Airway
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While our goal is to help you maintain your teeth for a lifetime, sometimes teeth need to be removed. Wisdom teeth, extra teeth, or very crowded teeth present situations that may mean treatment involving removal. In some cases, severely decayed or cracked teeth, or those missing large amounts of supporting bone leave extraction as the only viable option.
Regardless of your dental needs, your comfort is always our number one priority. We’ll discuss your unique situation and determine the best way to help you receive the treatment you need. Few patients look forward to any minor surgical procedure, but today’s methods provide the safest, least invasive care possible. One of our goals at Pearl Care Dental is to provide the most conservative treatment possible in every situation. Oral appliances offer simple, non-invasive treatment for a variety of conditions. Regardless of the application, every appliance we prescribe is custom-crafted just for you.
Whether we’re treating nighttime sleep grinding, a diagnosed case of obstructive sleep apnea, bite problems, or other jaw joint disorders, appliance therapy may be a valuable complement to your treatment. Drs. Christina D. Bender and Kari Chellis uses a variety of innovative designs depending on your treatment goals and preferences.
One in ten people suffer from sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common of the apnea’s, is caused by a blockage of the airway. It has been linked to medical conditions such as hypertension, anxiety, obesity, diabetes, asthma and depression.
Symptoms include:
We’re concerned about the overall health of our patients, including sleep health. Many people suffer needlessly from disruptive sleep disorders that keep them from getting enough oxygen at night. The risk of a heart attack is 23 times more likely than average with a sleep disorder, and 92% of stroke victims live unknowingly with sleep apnea before having a stroke.
We’re concerned about the overall health of our patients, including their sleep health. Many people suffer needlessly from dangerous sleep disruptive disorders that keep them from getting enough oxygen at night. The risk of a heart attack is 23 times more likely than average with a sleep disorder, and 92% of stroke victims live unknowingly with sleep apnea before having a stroke. Our training allows us to offer you education and treatment surrounding sleep health most simply and cost-effectively possible.
Estimates suggest that more than twelve million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Most cases are still undiagnosed, contributing to diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and traffic accidents related to drowsy driving. Dentistry serves a vital role in treating this silent epidemic. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends oral appliances as primary therapy for the treatment of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and for patients with severe sleep apnea who can’t tolerate CPAP treatment.
What is OSA?
OSA is a breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep due to a blockage in the airway. Obstructions occur when throat muscles, the tongue, tonsils, or the soft palate relax and cover the airway, preventing breathing. The obstruction results in a severe drop in blood oxygen levels throughout the night.
OSA is typically diagnosed using a sleep study. During a sleep study, a sleep physician monitors brain activity and body system functions while a patient rests overnight at a sleep lab. The specialist evaluates the data collected to diagnose sleep disorders and recommend treatment. If prescribed by the sleep doctor, a dentist trained in sleep medicine works with them to treat obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy. In some cases, a home sleep study may also be possible instead of reporting to a sleep lab.
How Is OSA Treated?
Treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea may involve surgery, CPAP or BiPAP machines, or oral appliance therapy. Oral appliances provide the least invasive option and are often a good choice for treatment of mild to moderate OSA. A carefully calibrated appliance like a CPAP or BiPAP can comfortably help hold the jaw in a precise position throughout the night.
All treatment recommendations should be made in conjunction with your sleep physician. If appliance therapy is selected, it’s essential the right positioning is used to maintain an open airway.
Teeth are the hardest substance in our bodies and can withstand a tremendous amount of force. But damage can occur, especially when grinding forces start to wear them away. A habit of nighttime clenching or grinding will harm teeth, muscles, and jaw joints over time.
Normal chewing results in brief intervals of contact between teeth. Under normal circumstances, your teeth should only contact for about 5 minutes each day. Slight amounts of wear over years of use is common.
Sometimes teeth develop a flattened, worn appearance. X-rays may show unusually thin layers of enamel as if sandpaper has been drawn across the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Daily chewing shouldn’t erode the enamel so much.
You Don’t Even Know
Some patients develop a subconscious habit of grinding their teeth, either during the day or at night. In many cases, the abrasive action occurs only during sleep, and for only a few seconds at a time. If you wake up with a sore jaw or a morning headache, chances are you are grinding your teeth during the night. In some patients, enlarged jaw muscles develop on the sides of the face from this nighttime grinding. These muscles are, ounce for ounce, the strongest in the body, which means they can do a lot of unnecessary damage.
The unusual activity not only wears down teeth and strains the overworked muscles, but compressive forces can also damage the complex jaw joints on one or both sides. Damage to the joints may lead to arthritic changes, chronic pain, and popping or clicking. Once these changes settle in, reversing their condition may become impossible.
Avoiding Irreversible Damage
If you’re waking up with a sore jaw or headaches, or you’ve noticed chips or flattening of your teeth, a consult with Drs. Cristina Bender, Iriff Ulep, and Kari Chellis is recommended. The sooner the problem receives attention, the less damage there will be. Often a custom-fit night guard will eliminate the symptoms while protecting your precious enamel.
Daytime habits of clenching or grinding deserve attention too. Drs. Cristina Bender, Iriff Ulep, and Kari Chellis will analyze your bite and make sure they’re moving against each other properly when you chew. Regardless of the cause, reducing the strain on the jaw and your teeth as quickly as possible can save you money and time spent in the dental chair.
Call 509-925-6553 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit.
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