Why can’t I just get a snoring appliance? Why do I need a sleep study first?

As a dentist, it is essential to work as part of a team of health care professionals. This is particularly important because many other medical conditions can be associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Some of these are:

▪ Increased Hypertension
▪ Elevated protein levels (Proteinuria)
▪ Angina Pectoris – more likely to develop.
▪ Initiation of gastroesophageal reflex
▪ Frequent nocturnal voiding
▪ Hypoxema - reduction of oxygen content in arterial blood
▪ Hypercapnia – high blood level of CO2
▪ Cardiac changes – bradycardia (A slowness of the heartbeat, as evidenced by slowing of the pulse rate to less than 60 beats per minute), tachycardia (The excessive rapidity in the action of the heart above 100 per minute), and right heart failure possibly leading to sudden death.
▪ Susceptibility to atherosclerosis (The progressive narrowing and hardening of the arteries over time)
▪ Hypothyroidism – causing polythycemia (the abnormal increase in the number of circulating red blood cells) and bicarbonate retention (affecting blood pH)
▪ Enlarged Tonsils
▪ Pregnancy related OSA
▪ Post menopausal changes

Also, the treatment of snoring and OSA with dental appliances without first having a definitive diagnosis confirmed by your medical team could cause the patient to become worse, not better. For example, some appliances may alleviate snoring, giving the patient and doctor the false impression that the appliance is working, when in fact it is possible that the patient’s apnea episodes could be getting worse even though their snoring has decreased.