Treating obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy is a rewarding and challenging undertaking. Every doctor/clinician has patients who do not completely respond to oral appliance therapy (OAT.) Once this is known, decisions need to be made to modify treatment for the best possible outcome. In the case study below I will describe how an innovative device was combined … [Read more...]

Solving this Patient’s Dilemma This is an interesting case where the patient was allergic to the silicone in the soft liner that is the interface of the CPAP mask to the face and also allergic to the neoprene straps of the CPAP mask. This middle aged woman has been trying to use the CPAP for 8 years off and on. She states that she cannot tolerate CPAP due to “allergy to … [Read more...]

by Daniel Klauer, DDS, DABCP, DABCDSM When evaluating patients with sleep disorders, it’s ok to be nosy. We have to be detectives, delving into the details of patients’ waking and sleeping hours. One of the most beneficial parts of my diagnostic exam involves evaluating the airway and the “Four Points of Obstruction” comprising the nasal valve, nasopharynx, velopharynx, and … [Read more...]

by Ronald S. Prehn, ThM, DDS It is estimated that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects at least 25 million Americans.1 OSA occurs when a patient’s airway gets blocked during sleep. The benefits of physicians prescribing overnight pulse oximetry testing to pre-screen for OSA are well known.2,3 In addition, studies supporting the use of overnight pulse oximetry by dental … [Read more...]