Sleep Apnea Research Paper

Goal: Help patients with sleep apnea

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Title: What Causes Sleep Apnea

More than 18 million Americans — or as many as one in 15 people — suffer from sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing. The condition causes individuals to experience pauses in their breathing, with some people experiencing 30 or more of these pauses each hour. The pauses can last anywhere between a few seconds to minutes.

Individuals experience poor sleep, a greater chance of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, depression, and Type 2 diabetes, among a variety of other health risks. A variety of medical treatments are used to both manage and reverse sleep apnea, but new technology has allowed dentists to provide an effective, comfortable

As a result, individuals may experience shallow breathing, or even breathing pauses, While research has found a greater tendency for sleep apnea in people who are overweight, the disease can affect anyone, from young children with enlarged tonsils to elderly individuals.

Sleep apnea can be difficult to diagnose. Individuals themselves don’t always know that they have the disorder, and often come to the doctor because a family member has noted some of the most common warning signs, which can include gasping, choking, snoring, and silent breathing.

The breathing disorder can cause a wide variety of health problems, from hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and negative changes in various areas of the brain, including the brain stem and areasa that influence mood, alertness, and congnition.

Common Treatment Options

One of the most widely prescribed treatments for sleep apnea is a CPAP, which stands for continuous positive airway pressure. CPAP is made up of three separate components, the motor, the hoses, and the mask. A CPAP motor is a compressor that pressurizes and sometimes humidifies room temperature air and pushes it through the hose into the CPAP mask, which is a placed over the individual’s nose. The therapy provides a non-stop, nightly flow of

In order to treat their patients and other individuals suffering from any degree of obstructive sleep apnea, dentists formed the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. The group pioneers research and studies that have led to the creation of dental devices and surgeries that treat sleep-disordered breathing.

Dental Devices for Sleep Apnea

One of the leading pieces to come from the AADSM is the oral appliance therapy, which has become a ground-breaking piece in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Individuals will work with a dentist to fit a piece that looks similar to an athletic mouth guard. The appliance is used to keep the individual’s airway open by repositioning the tongue, lower jaw, and soft palate of the mouth.

It can make an immediate impact, and also has long-term effects. The device increases and improves the tongue’s muscle tone and trains to stabilize the tongue and lower jaw. An overwhelming majority of patients using oral appliance therapy — between 90 and 95 percent — have found that they tolerate the device more than the CPAP machine. This leads to a higher compliance rate, as