What is Sleep Apnea?

Abbreviated Definition

Dental Sleep Medicine focuses on the management of sleep-related breathing disorders (SBD), which includes snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), with oral appliance therapy (OAT) and upper airway surgery.  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 base forward to maintain a more open upper airway.  Surgery may be an effective treatment for SBD if performed competently and on correctly identified specific anatomic sites that contribute to upper airway obstruction.  The diagnosis of SBD, particularly the potentially life-threatening medical disorder OSA, must be determined by qualified dentists, and upper airway surgery by qualified surgeons.

Expanded Definition

Dental Sleep Medicine focuses on the management of sleep-related breathing disorders (SBD), which includes the continuum of snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), with oral appliance therapy (OAT) and upper airway surgery.  OSA is a potentially life-threatening medical disorder that is more prevalent in males, and progressively worsens with advancing age and weight gain.  It is caused by repetitive collapse and blockage of the upper airway while asleep that results in reduced oxygen delivery to body organs, most critically the heart and brain.  Snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) are the two most common symptoms of OSA.  It may also cause memory loss, morning headaches, irritability, depression, decreased sex drive and impaired concentration.   Left untreated, OSA can result in hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, and sudden death while asleep, as well as motor vehicle accidents due to drowsiness while driving.

According to the Institute of Medicine's 461 page report released in April 2006 entitled "Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem" (http://nap.edu), an estimated 50-70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders, including OSA.  EDS alone costs $150 billion annually in lost productivity and mishaps, and another $48 billion in medical costs related to motor vehicle accidents that involve drowsy drivers.  Almost 20% of all serious car crash injuries are associated with driver Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), independent of alcohol effects.  Unfortunately the vast majority of these SBD go undiagnosed and untreated.