Sleep Apnea

At iSmile Mathis Ferry Dentistry, our ultimate goal is to educate our patients so that they understand the subtle but omnipresent manifestations of sleep disturbances resulting in common, everyday dental and medical problems that we see in our dental practices every day. We have a BIG problem….If every sleep lab, sleep center, and home sleep testing device that exists today was used 100% every night, 365 days a year, it would take nearly 50 years to simply diagnose all of the people who have untreated sleep apnea today. Sleep apnea can take an estimated 14-17 years off of your life!

Most Common Symptoms:

• Snoring.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness.
• High blood pressure.
• Acid reflux/GERD.
• Morning headaches.
• Diabetes.
• Sexual dysfunction.
• Social problems.
• Memory problems- Alzheimers/dementia.
• Dental symptoms including abfractions from nighttime grinding.

At iSmile Mathis Ferry Dentistry, we screen every patient who joins our dental family automatically!

Did You Know?

• Snoring causes plaque build-up in the arteries.
• 80% of morning strokes and heart attacks can be directly related to obstructive sleep apnea (literally dying in your sleep).
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the #1 independent risk factor of heart attacks and strokes. The odds ratio is 23:3.
• Low oxygen saturation can cause things from irreversible brain damage to heart attack and strokes.
• 70% of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients have obstructive sleep apnea.

Signs and Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

• Excessive Sleepiness.
• Lack of Energy.
• High Blood Pressure.
• Headaches: Migraine, Cluster, Dull Morning.
• Fatigue.
• Diabetes.
• Anterior Teeth Wear.
• Acid Reflux.