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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – New York, NY – Snoring is often looked at as an annoying sleep problem that often effects one’s sleep partner more than themselves. According to experts, snoring can effect everyone, regardless of gender, age or race. It is a health problem that has created a multibillion dollar industry in order to stop it. The darker side to snoring is obstructive sleep apnea, which snoring is often an indicator of. Approximately 100 to 200 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), causing long-term health risks, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and impotency. OSA is typically characterized by loud snoring, and is usually under diagnosed and often left untreated.
According to Dr. Daniel C. Smith, DDS, the founder of the new Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring, “a person suffering from OSA increases their risk of heart attack by 30%. Our goal is to provide our patients with the most comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of OSA available.” Dr. Smith founded the Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring with Dr. Kathleen Anderson, M.D. based on that fact that OSA has a solution with medical and dental treatments combined. For one of the first times in medical history, both specialties have come together to give the best solution for all people without a bias towards any one kind of treatment. Both doctors recognize that people are dying from OSA all too frequently, and with proper screening, education, and care, patients can lead a better quality of life.
Old Standards – New Applications
In past years, OSA was largely overlooked and only those who complained of sleep apnea or snoring was sent to a “Sleep Specialist.” Referral most often led to an overnight sleep study in a sleep lab and a recommendation for a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. These patients wore a mask over their nose that pumped air into their airway every night as they slept. Although CPAP is still the “gold standard” for treating severe sleep apnea, it can be uncomfortable and inconvenient causing the majority of patients to discontinue use after one year.
In 2005 the American Academy of Sleep Medicine stated that an alternative for the CPAP machine, an oral appliance fitted by a Qualified Dentist, was the recommended treatment for mild to moderate Sleep Apnea. It was also indicated for severe sleep apnea patients who could not tolerate the CPAP (over 80% of all people). Oral appliances are much better tolerated and convenient for most patients achieving a 85% percent continued usage after one year of use.
Updated Diagnosis, Treatment, Increased Patient Monitoring
“As research in the areas of Medical and Dental Sleep Medicine has expanded and the medical risks associated with OSA have been widely acknowledged, the need for the integration of the Medical and Dental professions has become clear,” says Dr. Smith, “that is why the Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring was created.” The Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring provides care from a team of Medical and Dental Specialists, to create a more complete solution to OSA by combing the highest technology available in the field as well as continued advanced education.
According to Dr. Smith, patients that enter the Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring are given a questionnaire that will let us know if they are suffering from “daytime sleepiness” and asks them to gauge the amount of noise they make while sleeping (snoring). We also give their sleeping partner a set of questions that helps us get a different prospective about this person. After the questionnaires are returned we have them evaluated and the patient is called on the phone. A thorough exam by a sleep physician is done utilizing technology that allows doctors to “see” the airway without utilizing x-rays. Further testing includes the use of an ambulatory sleep computer (sleep study for the home) that will tell doctors the extent of OSA the patient has. Further studies might indicate the need for an overnight sleep study (PSG). Treatment will consist of the best methods that can include a dental device, CPAP, or surgical procedure.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Can Affect Anyone
According to Dr. Smith, “while snoring is typically a problem that is associated with men, it is a condition that does not discriminate.” Dr. Smith says men, women and even children can suffer from OSA and it is one of the most misdiagnosed medical problems – especially in children. Men are six to seven times more prone to snoring than women, but when women hit menopause those numbers become equal. Dr. Smith also notes that a patient does not necessarily need to be overweight to suffer from OSA. “The old school of thought, and what has recently been portrayed throughout the medical community is that obesity is a primary indicator of OSA,” says Dr. Smith, “however I have found through my practice that people of all shapes and sizes can suffer from it.” Dr. Smith hopes with his new practice he will be able to increase awareness of OSA as well as improve the quality of life of people suffering from it, “it is our goal at the Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring to help our patients sleep better, feel better, and reduce the numerous health risks associated with OSA.”
About Dr. Daniel C. Smith, D.D.S., F.A.G.D.
Daniel Smith, D.D.S., F.A.G.D in 1981 graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry. Dr. Smith in 1988 established Focus Dental Group located in Agoura Hills, California where he practices today. Focus Dental Group is made up of three individual divisions: Focus Dentistry, Focus Institute for Implant Reconstruction, and Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring.
Dr. Smith frequently lectures on implant dentistry and is the director of Focus Dental Institute for Implant Reconstruction as well as co-director of Focus Center of Sleep Apnea and Snoring. Please visit www.focussleepcenter.com to learn more.
About Dr. Kathleen Anderson, M.D.
Kathleen B. Anderson, MD, earned her Bachelors degree in biology at Stanford University, followed by her Medical degree at UCLA in 1965. She received her internship and residency training in Family Practice at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center. Following completion of her formal training, Dr. Anderson pursued her career in private practice, most recently in Agoura Hills, CA.
Dr. Anderson’s personal interest in cardiovascular risk reduction led her to seek additional training in the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea. She is currently a member of the American Board of Family Practice, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and is co-director of the Focus Center for Sleep Apnea and Snoring.
www.focussleepcenter.com
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