Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
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Snoring Guard
By Dr. Linda Niessen STORY: SNORING GUARD
SCRIPT #552 AIRDATE: Monday, April 5, 2004 Daybreak & Midday DHC #19 Timecode: 16:10 Video of Broadcast: Snore Guard 56 Video of Broadcast: Snore Guard Links: American Academy of Sleep Medicine and American Sleep Disorders Association (both at: www.asda.org) American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) www.sleepapnea.org Dr. Mike Neeley
Monday, April 05, 2004
(Windows Media File for 56K modem - slower connections)
(Windows Media File for Hi-speed connections)
www.ada.org
Look for March 2001 Journal of American Dental Association, author: Peter George, D.D.S. “Selecting Sleep Disordered Breathing Appliances: biomechanical considerations.”
3131 Harvard Ave. Suite 101
Dallas, TX 75205
214-521-3148
It's estimated that half of all American men and a third of American women have a snoring problem. Physicians such as sleep specialists can treat the disorder. And so can dentists! Dr. Linda Niessen looks at a special mouth guard that provides a quiet night of sleep in this Dental Health Check.
Like an athlete getting ready for a game, David Richard puts in a mouth guard before going to sleep. Why?
"It's a nice thing to do for your wife. That's one good reason. I would have thought to go to a dentist. I think a lot of guys that snore probably don't think about who to go to. They just hope their wife gets ear plugs."
Snoring is caused by too small an opening at the back of the throat. The smaller the opening , the less air and the more resistance the air encounters when it moves through. This increased resistance causes vibrations or the sounds of snoring.
Snore mouth guards move the lower jaw FORWARD, making the airway opening bigger.
"We build a device that holds their jaw forward and opens up that airway," says Dr. Mike Neeley. "And these devices are very comfortable to wear and allow you to sleep very comfortably, in fact, some of the best rest you'll ever have. And allow you to get more oxygen in your body and eliminate the snoring sounds."
There are many different designs. But they all do the same thing-- reposition the lower jaw forward.
"And you can feel it gently pushing the jaw apart," said David Richard.
Research shows that patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea may also benefit from the snore appliances.
If you have severe apnea, look into seeing a sleep specialist. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A & M System, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen.
Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.
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