Your dentist may not be
the first person you consider turning to for help in diagnosing and treating obstructive sleep
apnea (OSA). But the findings of a recent study indicate that an
experienced primary care provider such as your dentist can treat sleep apnea
just as effectively as a specialized sleep center.
It actually makes sense
that a growing number of dentists are pursuing training in the field of dental sleep
medicine in order to assess and treat OSA and other sleep disorders. Bite
conditions and jaw alignment problems can contribute to the severity of sleep
apnea, and many sleep
apnea treatments utilize oral appliances similar to sports mouthguards to
help patients maintain open airways as they sleep.
A recent Australian
study, the findings of which were published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association,
suggests that sleep apnea treatment administered by properly trained primary care
providers is as effective as treatment at specialist sleep disorder facilities.
The study compared 81 patients treated at primary care practices with 74
patients treated at a sleep medicine center.
The study found similar
and significant improvements in patients at both. However, treatment costs were
about 40 percent less with primary care providers than at the sleep medicine
center. Specialized sleep centers also often have long waiting lists, which can
contribute to patients delaying or giving up on sleep apnea
diagnosis and treatment.