Snoring and sleep apnea dentist NYC

Perhaps someone has advised you to look for a sleep apnea dentist in New York, or you are seeking to remedy a snoring issue. Or maybe you can no longer bear using your CPAP machine.

Whatever the reason, rest reassured, you have come to the right place.

Dr. Joseph Salim is a dentist with broad experience in sleep apnea and snoring treatment using oral appliance therapy (see also Sleep Apnea Treatment NYC). He has completed several training workshops and courses at the Greater New York Dental Meeting and elsewhere.

Sutton Place Dental Associates is an obstructive sleep disorder and snoring treatment facility in Midtown East NYC.

We are specialized in dental sleep medicine. Our dental office pays special attention to sleep apnea and snoring. You could say we are a dental sleep apnea center.

You are probably wondering why so many patients entrust their snoring and sleep apnea issues to us.
To find out why, checkout the reviews written by our patients.

Sleep apnea and snoring at Sutton Place Dental Associates

Unlike other dental offices, we will present you with a “Sleep Health Questionnaire (SHQ).”

We will ask you questions like:

• “Are you currently using a CPAP machine?”,
• “Have your loved ones or those around you ever told you that you snore during your sleep?”
• “Has your partner ever warned you that you stop breathing and gasp for air while asleep?”.

This helps to identify whether you snore and if Dr Salim can help you reduce the issue.

But it is also to see whether you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. It is a sleep disorder, and a much more serious disease. And you may well need a sleep apnea treatment.

Even in its milder form, sleep apnea prevents you from getting good restorative sleep and feeling rested. And this is all the more necessary in a hectic environment like New York City.

Wondering what kind of a sleep apnea treatment Dr. Salim can provide?

Dr. Salim is a sleep apnea dentist and will help you set up a treatment plan using oral appliance therapy. This will ease your nightly snoring as well as episodes of choking and gasping for air.

Contact us if you suffer from some of the above signs and symptoms, or a doctor has already diagnosed you with obstructive sleep apnea.

You can call us at (212) 644-1011 to schedule an evaluation at our Midtown East NYC office or click here to book an appointment.

We welcome patients from NYC, and from surrounding communities in New Jersey and Connecticut.

Of sleep apnea and snoring

Silly cartoons poke fun at snorers. But if you suffer from this issue, then your loved ones know all too well that snoring can be a real problem.

Treating your snoring, which may not be medically necessary, can dramatically improve their quality of life too.

However, snoring can also be a huge issue for you. It may, in fact, be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (check Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The Definitive Guide for 2020). This is a potentially severe sleep disorder where your upper airways get temporarily blocked many times throughout the night. You will suffer from breathing interruptions, you will gasp for air, and will feel very drowsy in the morning (and this even if your mattress is comfortable).

Let’s look at the causes of snoring and sleep apnea.

Your upper nasopharyngeal tissues relax during sleep and vibrate as you inhale. Akin to sails in the wind, they vibrate and produce a sound (i.e., snoring).

Sleep apnea occurs when instead of just vibrating, your:

• uvula,
• soft palate,
• tonsils,
• cheeks,
• tongue

collapse, blocking your airway.

As oxygen levels drop, you may momentarily wake up. But, since this happens very quickly, you may not be fully aware of it.

As this process may repeat itself hundreds of times a night, you will feel drowsy in the morning.

People with sleep apnea also suffer from high blood pressure. Frequent lack of oxygen can have seismic effects on your health (check Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The Definitive Guide for 2020).

Obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea

There exists another form of sleep apnea, different from obstructive sleep apnea, called central sleep apnea.

How do they differ?

Well, the latter is caused by a nervous system dysfunction. So, it is very different from obstructive sleep apnea.

The area of the brain controlling breathing will transiently stop functioning. It will cease sending the correct nervous signals to the muscles in charge of your breathing.

Hence, your body “will forget” to breathe during some very short instances.

Let’s now take a look at how Dr. Salim treats snoring and sleep apnea using oral appliance therapy.

Treating snoring and sleep apnea with lifestyle changes

If your nightly log-sawing is not too loud, we advise you to make some lifestyle changes including:

• Quitting smoking since it clogs and weakens your throat
• Sports and weight loss since a thinner tongue is less likely to obstruct your upper airways
• Avoiding substances that relax your throat’s muscles (like alcohol, antihistamines, and tranquilizers) before you go to sleep
• Etc.

But if your sonorous activity is intense, then it may be a sign of a sleep disorder, and you may need to treat it.

Continuous positive airway pressure machines (CPAP) and oral appliance therapy

For many years, the primary treatment available was CPAP machines. These use mild air pressure to keep your airways open.

Their main problem? Lack of comfort. Only 30-50% of patients use them regularly.

Enter a snoring and a sleep apnea dentist like Dr. Salim, who has experience with sleep apnea treatments. He can provide you with an easier approach: oral devices also called oral appliances, or sleep appliances.

These free your upper airways by repositioning your jaw and tongue forward. 70-90% of our patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea wear them comfortably. Airflow improves, and snoring disappears.

So, how and when does treatment start?

First, your signs and symptoms need to suggest that you may benefit from a sleep apnea treatment. Unless a doctor has diagnosed you already, you will begin by completing a sleep study.

This can be done at a sleep center or with a home sleep test.

The board-certified sleep physician Dr. Salim partners with, in New York City, can provide both. He will make a diagnosis and treatment recommendations. He is well aware of the advantages and limitations of a CPAP machine.

We will discuss all possible treatment options and see if an oral appliance is right for you.

If a mouth device is the best solution, we will partner with your physician to provide oversight on the efficacy of the device.

Typically, we will follow up with you at three-week intervals to make sure the oral appliance is comfortable and practical.

Finally, we will give you some questionnaires (like the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Observation of Sleep Scale). It allows your bed partner to gauge whether the sleep apnea treatment improves her (his) quality of sleep.

The results of the questionnaire determine if you are ready for an efficacy sleep study.

Final remarks

We hope you have enjoyed this article.

If snoring is an issue or a doctor has diagnosed you with sleep apnea, give dental sleep medicine a chance! Call us at (212) 644-1011 or click here to book an appointment.
 
Your evaluation will take place at our Midtown-East office (New York City).