Dr. Chuck Le of 7 Day Dental (http://www.7daydental.com) talking about sleep apnea. Addressing dental staff, we want to help our patients by identifying potential cases. Not many doctors know about sleep disorders. Dr. Le gives information on health risks and the relationship between "nocturnal bruxism" (grinding teeth at night) and sleep apnea. We want to look for signs of teeth grinding and tell our patients that, if they grind their teeth, they may have sleep apnea. Upon examining patients with worn down teeth where we see evidence that they are "grinders", please ask them two important questions. (1) Do you have headaches, especially in the morning? (2) Do you snore or has anyone complained that you snore? If the answer is "yes" to one or both questions, they need to see a dentist asap. The main thing is that we need to explain to our patients how important it is for them to know if they have sleep apnea and, if so, to treat it. If their sleep apnea is not severe, they may be treated with a dental appliance. Some will need to use a CPAP machine, at least sometimes, but can have a dental appliance as well. We can also schedule patients to see Dr. Burrell for a free consultation, but it will more productive if Dr. Burrell knows the results of their sleep test prior to seeing the patients. Treating sleep apnea the right way and the right time, it can save their lives.
