Oral Sleep Appliances: Get Your Air In!
By Michael F. Hnat, D.M.D.

It is a fact that one can survive three weeks with no food, three days with no water, but only about three minutes without oxygen. Healthy people usually have an oxygen level in their blood above 95%. If you placed a pulse oximeter – a device that measures the blood oxygen levelr – on your finger, and held your breath for as long as you could, the oxygen level in your blood might drop one or two percent from the normal. Now just imagine what is happening during sleep when a person with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) stops breathing repeatedly and their levels are dropping into the 80% or 70% range or below. We all need to maintain normal oxygen levels while we sleep for every cell in our body to have adequate amounts to repair, cleanse and reproduce during this time. This nightly restoration process is critical to re-energize and rebuild our body for the wear and tear we place on it each day and, cumulatively, it works to keep us in good health.

For the individual with OSA, below normal oxygen levels at night not only impair one's sleep, but prevent this needed cell repair. Gradually this condition disrupts body functions and vital tissues are harmed. Daily, those with OSA feel exhausted and fatigued. The brain and cardiovascular system are especially stressed with chronic nighttime oxygen deprivation. Mental focus and memory is compromised while depression and headaches are common. High blood pressure, rapid and irregular heartbeat and diabetes are other complications. When brain function and/or the heart become severely "oxygen-strained", then stroke, heart attack of even fatality can occur.

Oral sleep appliances, CPAP devices and airway surgeries serve to keep the breathing airway open during sleep so that inhaled oxygen is at peak levels in the blood. A dentist qualified in sleep medicine custom fabricates the oral appliance to fit over the teeth like a mouthguard in such a way that it prevents the tongue from obstructing the airway during sleep.

It is ideal for individuals with OSA to have the collaboration of both medical and dental sleep professionals in determining the best treatment option for their particular needs.

Dr. Michael F. Hnat, has advanced training and certifications in the field of dental sleep medicine. An integral focus of his McMurray practice is oral sleep appliance therapy. For more information, visit www.progressivedentalsolutions.com or call (724) 942-5630

Return to Top

Western Pennsylvania Guide to Good Health. All rights reserved.