Traditionally, obstructive sleep apnea is treated by a CPAP machine. A CPAP machine consists of a mask that fits on the patients face as they sleep while a machine provides a continuous stream of air flowing. This keeps the soft tissue from relaxing and blocking the air passage. Unfortunately, only approximately half of sleep apnea sufferers can tolerate the CPAP machine.
Pannu Dental Care offers a more comfortable method of treatment. Recently, simple mouth guards have proven more successful at treating sleep apnea and they are easier to tolerate, for many, than CPAP. A sleepguard holds the bottom jaw forward during sleep, keeping the airway passage open. This allows the patient to get a good night’s sleep without having to wear a mask.
Dr. Pannu is committed to providing patients with the best, most advanced treatments for their sleep apnea disorder. He is an active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and will be attending their annual meeting in Boston June 2012.
If you believe you suffer from sleep apnea, the team at Pannu Dental Care can help. Our dentists and dental specialists serve patients in Cupertino, San Jose, Fremont, and Dublin, CA. We care about your comfort and quality of life. If you’d like to know more about how we can treat sleep apnea, call the Pannu Dental Care closest to you.
In a recent blog post, we discussed the dangers of sleep apnea. This sleeping disorder is most often associated with snoring, but is also very dangerous in some cases. Obstructive sleep apnea can keep you from getting a good night’s sleep and causes grogginess during the day.
Twelve million Americans, or 4.5% of the population, suffer from sleep apnea. However, as many as 10 million more aren’t aware they have it. The condition occurs when the soft tissues in the mouth and throat blocks the air passage. As you can imagine, it’s never a good thing to have your air passage blocked! Premature death has resulted as a result of sleep apnea in rare cases. The team at Pannu Dental Care is trained to address sleep apnea and help you rest comfortably at night.
Dr. Pannu and his trained staff have extensive experience with advance screening tools for sleep apnea and snoring. For a total evaluation of the upper airway, Pannu Dental Care is equipped with the Eccovision® Acoustic Pharyngometer and Rhinometer. The Pharyngometer and Rhinometer are a non-invasive, fast and easy, office based system that tests the air and nasal passageways. By using acoustic reflection technology, which is similar to a ship’s sonar, sound waves are sent through the air and nasal passageways to clearly identify the location and severity of any obstruction. The test is complete within minutes.
Joey N. Dacany, a registered dental assistant of extended function at Pannu Dental, screens the patient with help of the Pharyngometer. 
Joey is using the Rhinometer to test the patient’s nasal airway. The computer graphically displays the results of the study.
After the results from the Pharyngometer and Rhinometer are produced, the study is then concluded with the Embletta® X100, a sleep study device. The Embletta® X100 is worn during sleep and uses advanced digital technology to produce sleeping pattern data. This information that comes from the device is then uploaded to a sleep physician who can interpret the final results. If it is discovered that the patient does indeed suffer from sleep apnea, the physician will then prescribe treatment. Joey is demonstrating to the patient how to use the Embletter device.
If you snore and you don’t sleep alone, you could be depriving your partner of sleep. A study at the Mayo Clinic found, when a snorer stops snoring, both the snorer and his or her sleeping partner get better rest. The silent bed mate can suffer from noise-induced hearing loss and daytime drowsiness, which leads to poor productivity, according to one Canadian study.