Sleep apnea is a serious condition that you shouldn’t ignore. The sleep disruption that comes with the condition can affect virtually every system in the body, from your brain to your bowels. The condition can significantly diminish your quality of life, and it can increase your risk of early death significantly.
So, if you have sleep apnea, getting treatment is important, but who should treat your condition? You can choose a sleep physician or a sleep apnea dentist; there are good reasons to choose each.
Who Can Treat Sleep Apnea?
Two types of professionals are trained and certified to treat sleep apnea: sleep physicians and sleep apnea dentists.
Sleep physicians follow the guidelines for a recognized medical specialty in sleep medicine. These doctors don’t start as sleep doctors. They come from a variety of backgrounds, including:
- Otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat doctors)
- Pulmonology (lung doctors)
- Neurology (brain and spine doctors)
- Cardiology (heart doctors)
- Psychology (mental health doctors)
Because of their different backgrounds, sleep physicians may bring different skills and knowledge to the treatment of sleep apnea, which means there may be good reasons to choose them, depending on how sleep apnea is affecting you.
Dental sleep medicine is a specialized area of dental practice that focuses on treating sleep-related breathing disorders, such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), using oral appliance therapy. Unlike traditional sleep doctors, sleep apnea dentists are trained specifically in the intersection of dentistry and sleep medicine. While there isn’t a single certifying board for sleep apnea dentists, it’s important to ensure that a dentist has received proper training in dental sleep medicine and holds credentials from reputable organizations. Two key organizations to look for are the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) and the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM).
Dentists with expertise in dental sleep medicine bring a unique perspective to treating sleep apnea because of their background in dentistry. This training allows them to provide customized oral appliances that help manage sleep-disordered breathing, offering a tailored approach to patient care.
While dentists cannot diagnose sleep apnea, they play a crucial role in identifying signs and symptoms of the condition. Dentists are often the first to suspect sleep apnea during routine examinations by noticing indicators such as chronic inflammation of the throat and palate, or a small upper airway. If a dentist suspects you may have sleep apnea, they may recommend a sleep study. However, only a sleep physician can officially diagnose sleep apnea. This collaborative approach between dentists and sleep physicians helps ensure that patients receive the appropriate care.
When to Choose a Sleep Physician
Why should you choose a sleep physician rather than a sleep apnea dentist? In general, choose a sleep physician if you have:
- Severe sleep apnea
- Central sleep apnea
- Lung conditions that worsen sleep apnea
- Diagnosed heart conditions
- Mental health challenges related to sleep apnea
Severe sleep apnea should be treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), at least initially. Sleep doctors can prescribe this treatment.
Most people have obstructive sleep apnea, where the airway closes during sleep. However, a small fraction of people have central sleep apnea, in which your brain doesn’t tell your body to breathe. Central sleep apnea can only be treated with CPAP, and a neurologist can help you manage the condition more effectively.
Lung conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can complicate sleep apnea treatment, so if you have this, you should work with a pulmonary sleep physician. Similarly, you should work with a sleep physician who has a cardiology background if you have heart conditions. Heart conditions are one of the most common severe complications of sleep apnea, so people who live for a long time with undiagnosed sleep apnea often have this need.
If mental health challenges make it hard to deal with sleep apnea, a sleep doctor with a psychiatric problem can help. In particular, they can work with you to manage depression and mood disorders related to sleep apnea. They can also help you with CPAP compliance and any substance abuse problems that may have come from trying to manage sleep apnea on your own.
When to Choose a Sleep Apnea Dentist
So, when should you choose a dentist for your sleep apnea? You should work with a sleep apnea dentist if you:
- Want to try a sleep apnea treatment other than CPAP
- Can’t adapt to CPAP
- Have or suspect TMJ
- Want a convenient CPAP alternative for travel
Although sleep physicians come from various backgrounds, they all tend to prescribe CPAP for sleep apnea. It’s hard to get a sleep physician to even mention an alternative sleep apnea treatment that isn’t surgical. If you’ve struggled with CPAP and find it difficult to adapt, it might be time to consult a sleep apnea dentist. Many people do not realize that dentists can create oral appliances for patients diagnosed with sleep disorders like snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). These oral appliance therapy, designed to keep the airway open during sleep, can be just as effective as CPAP for many individuals and don’t require surgery. Dentists trained in dental sleep medicine specialize in treating sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and OSA, by offering various forms of oral appliance therapy tailored to fit comfortably and effectively treat sleep apnea.
Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ or TMD) are common among those with sleep apnea, with about ⅔ of sleep apnea patients experiencing TMJ symptoms. Additionally, treatments like CPAP can sometimes worsen TMJ. Dentists specializing in neuromuscular dentistry or similar disciplines can help manage both TMJ and sleep apnea, providing relief from these coexisting conditions.
For those who find their CPAP machine effective at home but inconvenient for travel, a sleep apena dentist can provide a more comfortable and portable sleep apnea treatment. Oral appliances are not only effective in managing sleep apnea but can also reduce or eliminate snoring, making them a convenient option for travel. Dentists play a crucial role in identifying and treating sleep disorders, often recognizing the first signs of sleep apnea, such as tooth grinding (bruxism), and offering solutions that improve overall sleep quality.
Talk to a Sleep Apnea Dentist in Lee’s Summit
If you think a sleep apnea dentist is the right professional for your sleep apnea treatment, Dr. Larry Pribyl and Dr. Jim Kleoppel would welcome you to the Center for TMJ & Sleep Apnea. Both dentists have training and experience in treating sleep apnea and TMJ. They can help you effectively treat your sleep apnea without CPAP.
To learn more about your sleep apnea treatment options, please call Center for TMJ & Sleep Apnea in Lee’s Summit at (816) 795-1000.
