People think of dentists as just “teeth docs”, but our role in managing the overall health of our patients has increased tremendously in recent years.
From the periodontal (gum) link to diabetes and cardiac disease to concussion prevention with athletic mouthguards, dentistry has a full fledged role in comprehensive medical care.
One aspect that people are becoming more aware of is the role that we, as dentists, have in recognizing patients that could benefit from further medical evaluation of snoring and sleep disorders.
Last week a patient came to our office complaining of tooth pain. We resolved his dental issue, but as our conversation continued, we recommended a nightguard for a grinding habit. The patient then said he couldn’t wear an appliance , because he has a C-PAP machine to treat sleep apnea.
CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. A CPCAP machine is a cumbersome device that patients wear to maintain an open airway during sleeping hours.
Another patient for whom I had made a snoring appliance came in for a regularly scheduled check-up. I asked him how his snoring appliance was working, and he had said his dog had gotten a hold of it. He had not been wearing it, and his wife had reminded him of it every night. We repaired his appliance, and he is now able to wear it comfortably.
We routinely recommend sleep studies for our patients who complain of snoring, sleep disturbances and even grinding habits.
We also tell patients of the risk of cardiovascular disease with untreated obstructive sleep apnea and/or snoring.
In summary the biannual dental check-up is more than just a “teeth cleaning”.
For more information, please call Karl Arakelian, DMD in Haverhill, MA at 978.373.0901 or visit Karl ArakelianDMD.com .
