My name is Dr. Paige Volentine and ten years ago, I had no idea what obstructive sleep apnea was. I had no clue who it affected and how it affected them. I am in the field of dentistry and never considered breathing and sleeping to be part of my scope of care. In retrospect, I was blind to a problem millions of people suffer with and it actually is very much intertwined with the field of oral care. Today, my team and I successfully diagnose and treat hundreds of patients that deal with this condition.
Sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissue in the back of your throat collapses during sleep, preventing you from breathing properly through the night. People that suffer from this often stop breathing hundreds of times per night. Yes, you read that correctly, actually stop breathing HUNDREDS of times, every night. And it can be deadly. Sleep apnea is a common and dangerous health problem that can significantly increase your risk of developing heart conditions and other systemic diseases.
You’re probably thinking, “ I don’t have this. Certainly, I would know if I stopped breathing multiple times during the night.” Well, the short answer to this is you don’t always know, because you’re asleep! 1 in 5 patients can potentially suffer with this problem and there are clear warning signs that you do have sleep apnea. Some of the potential indicators are daytime sleepiness, weight gain, fatigue, hypertension, heart disease, obesity, snoring, lack of concentration, respiratory problems, and diabetes. If you experience any of these conditions, you might, in fact, have some severity of sleep apnea.
If you are experiencing any of these warning signs and want to know about your next step or if you are not happy with your CPAP machine and want to know about an alternative, Trenton Sleep Solutions would love to help! We offer in office and telemedicine consultations to discuss and evaluate your risk for sleep apnea. Once evaluated, our sleep specialists will help coordinate your testing and treatment. Call us at 318-265-4972 or visit us online at www.trentonsleepsolutions.com. We would love to help you finally get that restful nights sleep.
Testing for obstructive sleep apnea has certainly evolved throughout the years. You no longer have to spend the night in a sleep center, hooked up to electrodes, and actually not sleep. We at Trenton Sleep Solutions offer an easy to use at home sleep study you do in the comfort of your own home. The data is downloaded on your smartphone and sent to a sleep physician to read and diagnose. From the data, we can determine if you do have sleep apnea and it is then categorized into mild, moderate, or severe.
The treatment for OSA has, for many years, involved Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machine which simply blows air into your mouth to force the airway open. Unfortunately, as many as 6 out of 10 patients are CPAP intolerant. Thankfully, medical and dental professionals have joined forces in creating a much less invasive solution with oral appliance therapy. Oral appliance therapy uses a small, custom made oral appliance that is similar to a mouth guard that you wear while you are asleep. The device is specially designed to fit your mouth comfortably and to meet your individual needs.
Oral appliances are designed to gently shift the lower jaw slightly forward, preventing the airways from collapsing and allowing you to breathe and rest better throughout the night. With oral appliance therapy, you are free to sleep, breathe, and travel comfortably without being tied to a machine or electrical outlet. A much easier and less cumbersome alternative to a CPAP machine.
Ruston location:
1605 N Trenton Street
Ruston, LA 71270
Monroe location:
1100 N 18th Street
Monroe, LA 71201