Dental Sleep Medicine for Long-Term Health

Distinctive Dental Care & Dental Sleep Medicine helps patients remedy obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using advanced dental therapies while you are awake and aware – NOT sedated.

Dental Appliances for Sleep Apnea and Snoring

We use new, proven oral appliance therapy to augment or replace uncomfortable (strapped or strapless) CPAP nasal/mouth pieces, masks, and machines, surgical treatment of the throat, and homeopathic remedy techniques for breathing problems due to sleep apnea.

Close Collaboration with Physicians and Sleep Labs

We fully treat your OSA not only as your dentist, but also in close partnership with your physician and diagnostic sleep labs. In fact, Dr. Dave Nutter and Dr. Dan Wilson are two of a select few local dentists who closely collaborate with physicians and sleep clinics. As a result, we have effectively treated numerous mild to moderate cases of OSA with oral appliance therapy alone.

The Health Risks of OSA

OSA occurs when complete or partial airway obstruction causes you to repeatedly stop breathing while asleep. When air does manage to squeeze past the blockage, you may loudly snore. In effect, you are not getting proper oxygen, which can lead to many profound short and long-term health issues.

Following are examples of health issues produced or complicated by OSA:

• Cardiovascular problems, such as high blood pressure, heart attack, irregular heart rhythms, and stroke
• Diabetes
• Memory loss
• Depression
• Anxiety attacks
• Erectile dysfunction
• Acid reflux (GERD), which studies report may cause and be caused by OSA
• Headaches
• Frequent need to urinate at night
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Relationship problems due to mutual sleep deprivation
• Daytime drowsiness and fatigue
• Automobile accidents (The National Sleep Foundation reports 100,000 crashes, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities yearly due to sleep deprivation)
• Industrial accidents

As you can see, we should not laugh at Uncle Harry snoring in the chair. OSA is a serious condition that could indicate a very serious health problem.

As a medical treatment, oral appliance therapy is covered by health insurance.