Dental clinic offers devices to help sleep apnea sufferers Published Nov. 28, 2011 By Senior Airman Veronica Hamilton 341st Medical Group Dental Technician MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. Patients with sleep apnea snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night's sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form, occurring when the throat muscles relax, causing a narrowing of the airway and breathing to momentarily stop. The level of oxygen in the blood decreases and the brain senses the inability to breathe causing sleep apnea patients to momentarily awaken. Sleep apnea can occur in males and females of all ages. Potential risk factors leading to an increased risk include excess weight, a neck circumference greater than 17 inches, high blood pressure, a naturally narrowed airway, increased age, family history, alcohol use, sedative or tranquilizer use, smoking and prolonged daytime sitting. A primary care physician can determine your path of treatment, and if need be, a referral to conduct a sleep study. Sleep studies are conducted to monitor breathing throughout normal sleep cycles, allowing the primary care physician to better judge the severity of the sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machines, or sleep apnea appliances are some of the recommended treatments. Oral appliances have been recommended in patients who cannot tolerate the CPAP machine. The Malmstrom dental clinic offers a new sleep apnea oral appliance that allows patients to talk, yawn, and drink water while wearing the device. The new appliance is less bulky and more flexible, and is a better option for patients who do not tolerate large appliances. Sleep apnea appliances gently open the bite, advancing the jaw forward to open the airway. The appliance is made primarily of a thin plastic material and molded to custom fit the patient's natural bite pattern. The dentist fits the interchangeable straps for the most comfortable setting and patients can easily adjust the latex-free elastic straps. For more information, contact the dental clinic at 731-2846.