Consultation for Snoring, Sleep Apnea, Bruxism, and other Sleep Disorders in adults and children
Sleep Apnea Can Be Treated – Learn What to Do!
About one third of our lives is spent sleeping. However, due to numerous conditions and factors, this state of reversible disconnection from the surrounding environment does not always occur in the right quality and quantity.
A good night’s sleep is essential to restore endocrine, metabolic, and intellectual functions.
Sleep disorders are common; it is estimated that everyone has suffered, suffers, or will suffer at least one sleep disturbance during their lifetime. Sleep deprivation negatively impacts our quality of life — affecting intellectual and work performance (sleep deprivation is linked to 25% of road traffic accidents) — and our individual and collective health, due to the high prevalence of associated comorbidities. This is particularly true for obstructive sleep breathing disorders such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
The good news is: they are treatable!
The Importance of Screening and Clinical Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
It is estimated that about 80% of the world population suffering from sleep apnea is underdiagnosed.
Sleep apnea is a chronic disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. According to a study published in the United States, patients with untreated severe sleep apnea are at significantly increased risk of both fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease.
Early screening and diagnosis of obstructive sleep breathing disorders, such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, both in children and adults, is essential to establish the best possible medical treatment.
Dentists play a fundamental role as part of multidisciplinary medical teams in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of these disorders.
What Happens During a Dental Sleep Medicine Consultation?
During the consultation, the dentist will evaluate:
- Craniofacial skeletal structures: Assessing growth patterns is essential to identify structural developmental changes that may contribute to obstruction of the upper airways.
- Dental arches and oral health: It is essential to examine oral hygiene, gums, tongue, and teeth, as well as the presence of dental fractures, edentulous areas (missing teeth), dental restorations, fixed or removable prostheses, and implants.
- Oropharynx: Evaluation of the positional relationship of the tongue base with the hard palate, soft palate, uvula, and tonsils.
- Orofacial muscular and facial structures: Muscle tone is a relevant factor in the stabilization of treatment. For this reason, its evaluation is important and may be improved through myofunctional therapy.
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ): Assessment of possible TMJ alterations such as clicking, popping, or limited mobility during opening and lateral movements, which may affect intraoral treatment of sleep apnea.
- Cranio-cervical posture: The postural relationship between the skull base and cervical vertebrae will also be assessed, since postural changes in this region may influence the position of the pharynx, mandible, hyoid bone, and muscle tone, contributing to upper airway obstruction.
- Screening tools: By applying validated medical questionnaires, the dentist can assess the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness and craniofacial, postural, and skeletal risk factors, as well as deleterious habits (such as infantile swallowing or mouth breathing), and screen for the presence of sleep apnea and its impact on daily quality of life.