December 2017
Spotlight of the Month
John Bouzis, DDSPC
Restful Sleep, Casper, WY
Dr. Bouzis and Restful Sleep remain tirelessly dedicated to making a difference in our community for those suffering from the ill effects of Sleep Disordered Breathing. In medicine today we rarely diagnose Sleep Disorders and when we do, the present system seldom gets them treated.
SDB is said to be 90% undiagnosed and for those that have been diagnosed CPAP therapy is most often prescribed with reports of compliance therapy failure of 50% after one year and 83% after five years. If these figures are half right, there is a problem. I like to say that we all know someone with SDB even if they have yet to be diagnosed. Our mission is to change that in any way we can.
Favorite success story:
- • Treating a patient with an AHI of 102 reduced to 29 with Oral Appliance Therapy and was doing so well in his mind that he would not give up his appliance so I could reset the hardware and do a little more titration.
- • Treating a patient whose wife worked for a DME distributer of CPAP products and although he was CPAP intolerant for 3 years I educated him with regard to SDB and as a result he wears his APAP even today.
Tips for Treating Sleep in Your Office:
- • Find balance between working with the medical community (they need us and we need them) and doing whatever it takes to not leave patients without the treatment they need.
- • Create reasonable expectations in your “dentist mind” as this is medicine where not everyone can be successfully treated and not everyone can be treated with Oral Appliance Therapy.
- • Utilize combination therapy when needed and discuss the possibility at the initial consultation remembering that telling someone something in advance of it happening is perceived as “brilliance” on your part but nothing but a “darn excuse” afterwards.
- • Don’t fall victim to the increasing division within our profession and sleep medicine by taking the short cuts as suggested by some.
Graduating from Dental School in 1975 – dentistry is in such a different place now than then. We have more technology and capacity to provide quality care than ever before, yet systems, regulations and more significant reimbursement systems clutter our ability to do so.
Patients have become increasingly dependent on 3rd parties to make decisions regarding their healthcare. It seems you would have difficulty finding anyone treating SDB today that would disagree that the complicated moving parts in the delivery of sleep medicine far outweigh the difficulty of delivering clinical care. Today the struggle of treating Sleep Apnea is outweighed only by the lives of those we can help. As a result, dentistry can and should continue the struggle to make a difference in SDB.
Dr. John Bouzis
Fresh Finds
Featured Course
Recipe for Better Sleep
With Dr. Michael Breus
Dr. Michael Breus is commonly referred to as “The Sleep Doctor“. He will guide you through the various impediments that could be getting in the way of a great night’s rest. Through a thoughtful review of pre-sleep behaviors, you will gain a greater understanding in how to advise and treat your patient.
Featured Webinar
Choosing the Best Appliance for your Patients
With Dr. Rob Veis
Dr. Veis will be reviewing the many appliances available to treat your patients.
Bring your questions!
Thursday, December 7th
at 5 PM PST/ 8 PM EST.
Sleep Apnea and Weight Gain:
Reasons and Answers
How untreated Sleep Apnea can lead to obesity:
Several studies have shown a favorable effect of supervised exercise training on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the data from these studies on the severity of OSA (primary outcome) in adults. Secondary outcomes of interest included body mass index (BMI), sleep efficiency, daytime sleepiness and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Conclusions
Sleep apnea and obesity together share common health risks that should not be ignored. Both contribute to hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other chronic health conditions. And sleep apnea leads to sleep deprivation, which may be the way it connects the dots with so many other chronic health problems.
Sleep apnea can lead to obesity because of sleep deprivation. Chronic poor, insufficient sleep leads to chemistry imbalances that make it difficult for the body to maintain a healthy metabolism. Even 30 minutes of lost sleep every night can compromise your metabolism, which is critical to balancing key hormones related to weight management: insulin to balance blood sugar, and two appetite regulators, leptin and ghrelin.