Sleep Apnea Disorder - Cincinnati, Fairfield, West Chester

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Dr. Diers takes a sincere interest in your overall health & wellness.  It’s for this reason that EVERY new patient is asked to complete an age appropriate sleep questionnaire that focuses on your sleep habits and gives Dr. Diers a baseline read of your sleep quality.

 Snoring, sleep disorders, insomnias, and sleep apnea affect your health & wellness. Your sleeping patterns and quality of sleep affect not only you, but also those close to you. 

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 *Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder that involves the decrease or complete pause of airflow to the lungs despite the ongoing effort to breathe. Sleep problems occur as the muscles of the throat and tongue relax and collapse the airway as you enter deeper sleep stages.  These reductions in air flow [hypopnea] or complete pauses [apneas] create major disruption to the oxygen saturation in the blood stream throughout the brain and body.

 This lack of oxygen can cause serious damage to your heart and circulatory system. Sleep disturbances are prevalent in not only adult, but also pediatric patients.  Lack of quality sleep can reduce your life expectancy by up to 30%.  Sleep dysfunction is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, and essential hypertension.  In addition, it is contributing to ADD, ADHD, PDD, narcolepsy, type II diabetes, autism, acid reflux, and obesity.*

 Sleep Statistics at a Glance

• 20% of adults suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea [OSA]
• 56 million people are undiagnosed with moderate to severe OSA
• Estimated healthcare costs if NOT TREATED is $115-$160 billion per year
• Estimated cost to treat all OSA patients is $9 billion over the next 10 years
• Seeking treatment prior to permanent damage to the body will increase the average life expectancy of the individual by 20 years according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

 How does Dr. Diers’ Treatment Impact My Sleep?

Good question!  The position of the teeth and jaws directly affect the activity and posture of the tongue.  The tongue is instrumental in the four oral functions, of speaking, swallowing, chewing, and breathing.

When your jaw is too narrow or positioned too far back, your tongue is pushed back against the throat.  Similarly, if your teeth are aligned poorly, and tipped back, or if your bite is considered “deep”- you lose even more room for your tongue.  When the tongue is pushed down into the throat the first stages of obstruction are created.

Through orthodontic tooth alignment, and orthopedic jaw development, the tongue is allotted more room to move forward in the mouth, clearing the airway.  Not only will your new smile look its very best, but you will feel your very best, too!

 Dental Sleep Appliances for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Dr. Diers provides medical OSA care with dental sleep appliances.   These appliances are worn inside the mouth and are designed to position the lower jaw forward and bring the tongue forward to maintain an open airway. 

Dental sleep appliances are an excellent choice for those diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea, or for those with sleep apnea that cannot tolerate a CPAP.  

Sophisticated & Accurate Diagnosis

Our office is equipped with an iCAT machine which allows Dr. Diers to observe airway structures. This 3D scan highlights areas of the head, neck and TMJ that typical x-rays cannot show, allowing for a more accurate treatment plan. Patients have the convenience of getting their scan done in our office. Click on the link below to read more about the ICAT scan and its benefits.