Dentists Team Up with other Healthcare Professionals to Address Sleep Apnea in Children and Adults

    CARLSBAD, CA, September 06, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder in which a sufferer will periodically stop breathing in the middle of the night. This causes a lack of oxygen during sleep cycles, which puts the body into a fight or flight mode to signal it to breathe. Decreased deep sleep, lack of oxygen, and overworked adrenal glands from staying in a fight or flight mode leads to reduced immune function, difficulty focusing, impaired cognitive function, lack of energy, memory impairment, and difficulty with mood regulation. Children who display behaviors of moodiness, irritability, inability to focus, and exhaustion may be suffering from sleep apnea - a diagnosis that is all too often overlooked or diagnosed as ADHD. Often the solution given is a CPAP machine to help with breathing in the night. However, this does not address the underlying causes of sleep apnea.

Dentists, oral surgeons, chiropractors, and physical therapists have noticed over the years that impaired jaw and tongue development, as well as forward head posture, may be to blame for sleep apnea by impairing airway passages. These are structural problems that can be addressed through physical solutions with lasting results.

"Addressing the structural root causes of sleep apnea requires a multi-disciplinary approach," says Dr. Nancy K. Nguyen, DDS of Carlsbad's Delicate Dental Arts. "A full examination of the face, mouth, and posture can show us how we can intervene to open airway passages, correct tongue, and body posture, and as a result, correct breathing."

Nguyen has been collaborating with other healthcare professionals to develop treatments for patients with sleep apnea that addresses the root causes of impaired breathing, which causes sleep apnea. Nguyen can prescribe treatment that can often correct the problems, not just treat the symptoms. The innovative treatment is not known by many dentists or practitioners. Nguyen has taken special continuing education to help her patients with sleep apnea because she believes it is a quality of life issue, possibly saving a life. Treatment is using a removable oral appliance like an orthopedic appliance that will grow bone and expand the airway.

"Sometimes this means orthopedic appliance with physical therapy, exercises, and chiropractic adjustments, or removing adenoids and tonsils, or any combination of these interventions," say Nguyen.

Nguyen has been collaborating with other healthcare professionals to develop treatments for patients with sleep apnea that addresses the root causes of impaired breathing, which causes sleep apnea. Nguyen can prescribe treatment that can often correct the problems, not just treat the symptoms. The innovative treatment is not known by many dentists or practitioners. Nguyen has taken special continuing education to help her patients with sleep apnea because she believes it is a quality of life issue, possibly saving a life. Treatment is using a removable oral appliance like an orthopedic appliance that will grow bone and expand the airway.

"Sometimes this means orthopedic appliance with physical therapy, exercises, and chiropractic adjustments, or removing adenoids and tonsils, or any combination of these interventions," says Nguyen. "The first step is to identify what is impairing correct breathing, and dentists need to incorporate this examination into regular appointments."

While sleep apnea in adults and children goes undiagnosed, the health detriments compound. Bringing a simple examination of physical factors associated with impaired breathing into regular dental appointments can prevent sleep apnea from going untreated and escalating into health issues associated with depleted adrenals, cardiac distress, and suppressed immune functioning.

For more information about how your dentist can help identify and treat sleep apnea, or for educational resources to integrate sleep apnea identification and treatment into your healthcare practice, visit https://www.delicateencinitasdentist.com/ or call 760-944-7911.

Delicate Dental Arts
Our mission at Delicate Dental Arts is to provide high quality, affordable dental care that promotes lasting function and health, without compromising esthetics. Our office will always provide a comfortable, compassionate environment where your concerns are the priority of our professionally trained staff.

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