Sleep Apnea Treatment

Changing Lives: Local Dentist Treats Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients Great Neck, NY – Stewart C. Brody D.D.S., a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM), is committed to offering an alternative treatment for people suffering from Snoring & Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA affects approximately 18 million Americans, causing them to stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds, sometimes for one minute or longer, hundreds of times a night.

For 23 years, Dr. Brody has practiced dental sleep medicine (DSM), which is the management of sleep-related breathing disorders, such as snoring and OSA, with an oral appliance therapy.

“Scientific studies have shown that approximately 25 percent to 50 percent of patients with OSA are unable to comply with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), the standard treatment therapy, or do not tolerate it, leaving a large number of OSA patients that dentists can help with OAT,”.

OAT involves the customized selection, fabrication, fitting, adjustments, and long-term follow-up care of specially designed oral devices, worn during sleep, which reposition the lower jaw and tongue forward to maintain a more open upper airway. Oral appliances (OAs) look similar to mouth guards, but should be selected and fitted by a dentist trained in DSM to maintain unobstructed breathing during sleep.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has published practice parameters, stating that oral appliance therapy is indicated for treatment of patients with mild to moderate apnea if they prefer it to CPAP, cannot tolerate CPAP, or are unable to use positional therapy or weight loss to control their apnea. OAs are also recommended for severe patients if they are unable to tolerate CPAP.

Warning signs of OSA include excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, morning headaches, poor memory and mood changes. If a patient undergoes a sleep study (polysomnography) and is diagnosed with OSA by a sleep physician at an accredited sleep center, he or she may be sent to Dr. Brody for treatment.

“Unfortunately, OSA is a growing problem, with overweight and obese people making up one of the highest risk groups for this disease,” Dr. Brody said. “But OAT is a safe and effective treatment option that will help decrease the prevalence of untreated OSA and improve patients’ overall health.”