PREVENTION

Obstructive sleep apnea and dentistry

A large portion of the population is walking around (and driving around) with obstructive sleep apnea, a serious condition that causes a loss of lives in motor vehicle accidents, as well as strokes, heart attacks and a variety of other serious health conditions.

If you frequently fall asleep during routine activities such as driving, riding in a car, or in conversation, you may want to be tested for sleep apnea.  People who do not feel rested following "a good night’s sleep" may be suffering from sleep apnea.

A sleep apnea screening at the dentist, and a follow-up study at a sleep center, may give you the answers you are looking for.  Dentists make oral appliances to treat mild to moderate sleep apnea; oral appliances are a great solution for patients who cannot tolerate a C-PAP machine or who want to avoid surgery.

Contact Dr. Lawson for more information.