Breathing and Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a disorder marked by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep due to airway obstruction. Blockages happen when the throat muscles, tongue, tonsils, or the soft palate fall back into the throat. The restriction results in a significant decrease in blood oxygen levels and creates unnecessary systemic stress, elevated blood pressure, risk of diabetes, and more. Most cases are OSA, but some patients may suffer from Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), a condition that develops when the brain fails to signal the diaphragm to pump air. We refer CSA cases to a physician who specializes in sleep medicine.

Our providers follow the American Dental Association's (ADA) recommendation that dentists screen patients for sleep apnea. At Kharsa Clinics, we follow the latest standard of care and identify possible medical problems with dental solutions, including the evaluation and enhancement of sleep health. You may find the ADA’s policy HERE. Severe cases of sleep apnea are typically referred to pulmonologists who specialize in sleep medicine.

If you’ve been told you snore, there’s a chance you have undiagnosed sleep apnea. If you deal with daytime sleepiness, low energy, diabetes, high blood pressure, irritability, depression, unexplained or morning headaches, memory problems, and more, apnea could be the underlying cause. If you have experienced any of these conditions or have been told you snore there is a chance that you have undiagnosed sleep apnea. You deserve to find out if better sleep could improve the quality and quantity of your life.

Snoring may not suggest a serious health problem, but there’s a significant chance there’s more below the surface. Research indicates that over 70% of snorers suffer from an underlying sleep apnea problem. Our specialists will evaluate whether your snoring is triggered by sleep apnea. Snoring also represents a social issue for many partners, affecting their quality of sleep as well. The sound can be quite loud reaching up to 100 decibels, the same as a jackhammer!

Sleep apnea in children is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in children. Physicians and dentists are becoming more aware about evaluating children for sleep apnea. Current research shows a significant increase in cases of children diagnosed with sleep apnea. It may be the cause of irritability, poor sleep, underperformance, lethargic behavior, and bed wetting. It affects their normal development or reaching developmental milestones, and it may be the cause of ADHD.

Our specialists use a comprehensive approach that considers your history, habits, and detailed clinical findings to determine the quality of your sleep. We’re the first clinic in our region to use the only FDA-approved home sleep study device for efficient screening of sleep health. In the comfort of your home, the device gathers essential data that’s read and analyzed by an American board-certified sleep physician. This detailed information includes tracking heart rate, body temperature, sleep cycles, oxygen levels, and more. After reviewing the physician’s recommendations, we can decide on the next steps to help you improve sleep quality and overall health.

Recent research shows a correlation between teeth grinding during sleep and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The relationship is not entirely clear, but people who clench or grind are more likely to suffer from apnea. Our clinicians use a holistic approach when they evaluate your concerns. They explore possible links between your symptoms and other systemic findings and then outline a treatment plan that addresses your concerns. At Kharsa Clinics, we’re proud to have a specialist designated by the American Academy of Dental sleep medicine. We evaluate patients with sleep disorders and outline a treatment plan that reflects the latest research and advancements in the field.

Our specialists discuss a comprehensive questionnaire and medical history to develop an accurate diagnosis, a crucial first step in your care. We consider the following treatments after evaluating the diagnosis and the root cause of the problem. All of these treatment modalities are based on sound research and are FDA approved. 1- Laser Treatment: For snoring and mild cases, we use Fotona NightLase, an FDA-approved laser for the treatment of snoring. Patients appreciate this non-invasive approach that tightens the collagen fibers in the roof of your mouth to reduce airway collapse and facilitate breathing. 2- Removable Appliances: In other cases, we use a special type of removable appliance to help precisely position your jaw and maintain an open airway during sleep. Kharsa Clinics is the first and only provider in the region that offers the Vivos therapeutic method by VIVOS AIR. These patented appliances treat the root cause of non-central sleep apnea by enhancing the volume of the airway. 3- Myofunctional Therapy: Our team includes two practitioners certified by the American Academy of Myofunctional Therapy. They coach patients on certain exercises that improve the function of the muscles around the face, mouth and tongue to help keep the upper airway open.

If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may have been prescribed a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine (CPAP); this treatment has historically been the gold standard for better sleep. But research shows a consistently high rate of non-compliance, a problem that puts sufferers at risk for serious health complications. If you’re CPAP-intolerant and do not have central apnea, we might be able to suggest alternative treatments to help manage your symptoms.