Sleep Apnea treatments offered by Dillon Dental Care

Dr. David Dillon from Dillon Family Dentistry announced about an innovative treatment they offer for Sleep Apnea at Bryn Mawr, PA.

BRYN MAWR, PENNSYLVANIA, USA, May 6, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — David Dillon, DMD has been practicing dentistry for over 30 years on the Main Line at the Rosemont-based family practice – Dillon Family Dentistry. Dr. Dillon spoke to the Main Line I chapter of BNI on February 4, 2022 about an innovative treatment they offer for Sleep Apnea.

“There have been increasing concerns about the impact of sleep apnea on overall health. Sleep apnea has been found to have profound effects and increased risks associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and liver problems on top of fatigue and daytime sleepiness as well as the problems arising from constantly being tired. Quite often, people are quick to write it off as a little snoring or a bit of a restless night. May I remind all you Philly sports fans that the ‘Minister of Defense’, Reggie White, died from sleep apnea. It’s definitely more than just a little bit of fatigue. The effects that sleep apnea, and commonly associated snoring, can have on family relationships is also very significant. A very dear friend of mine came into my office, complaining that her husband stopped sleeping with her because of her apnea and snoring. She really missed the special time with her husband and was elated with the results, which brought them back together again, every night. Pretty powerful stuff right there, don’t you think? Aside from couples, most of us have suffered the snoring of friends and family at home, and on vacations. The inconsiderate problem can cause fatigue and irritability in people residing in the same dwelling. If there are others in the same home as the one who snores, they could also become victims of the problems associated with limited quality rest every night. When I first did my training for sleep dentistry, the instructor told me a story about his first patient – his father. He saw the most amazing result from the treatment, which proved successful. Within a few weeks of his father wearing the dental appliance, he was surprised to see his father as a nice, happy person for the first time in his life. His lack of quality sleep had made him grumpy for his son’s entire life.

“Wow, that’s pretty life-changing. There have been studies done recently that show a reduction in the opening at the back of human mouths in contemporary skulls as compared to pre-industrial ones. This is far too short of a time frame for it to be caused by evolution, which takes 100s of thousands of years. The researcher’s hypothesis was found true and this is in fact, happening. They realized that the maxillary bones are not developing as much. This is likely because of a softer diet. You see, the maxillary bones develop in response to load. Much the same way as weight training helps us older peeps keep our bones dense, the load, usage and tough-chewing stimulates bone growth in the upper jaw. The lower jaw tends to grow to match the upper jaw for the most part. Did you figure out the link here? The tongue and all of the other tissues maintain the same proportions and occlude the airway much more. I thought this was earth-shattering when I first heard it a few years ago. It not only explains the increase in snoring and apnea cases, but also the need for braces; since we are still coded for 32 teeth, which are now trying to fit in even tighter spaces. This is also strongly linked to the increase in problems experienced by adults like ADHD and other conditions that also seem to be affecting our kids, quite often that too. So, what can a family dentist do?

“It’s quite a simple procedure, actually. We basically fabricate a device that has athletic mouthguards on the top and bottom arches and has a strap that subtly pulls the lower jaw a little forward. This in turn pulls all of the tissues forward, away from the airway opening at the back of the mouth. You can all demonstrate this on yourselves. Just lay back and then pull your lower jaw forward and you will feel the airway open up. You can’t snore if you try this. It’s just that simple and effective. No Hannibal Lecter face mask, tubes and wires of a CPAP machine pumping air all night long. Which also means, no risk of infection or constant need to clean and maintain the CPAP machine and tubes. The transportation and maintenance of CPAPs are all nightmares of the past now. Oral sleep dentistry appliances are much more widely accepted by patients, as compared to CPAP machines. They are less invasive than crazy surgeries that either involve cutting the tissues in the back (which often do not work at all) or implanting a device with a remote that stimulates muscles to combat the apnea. You can get started with one of the sleep apnea oral appliances immediately, after just 2 visits with us at Dillon Family Dentistry. There may be a follow-up visit or two to adjust the device, but most people hit the ground running and never look back.”

David Dillon is the third generation of Dillon Family Dentistry. He joined his father, Joseph Dillon in 1989 after graduating from Temple Dental School. Dillon Family Dentistry has been serving the Main Line and Rosemont and Villanova areas for over 70 years, with a focus on minimally invasive treatment and clear communication and dialogue with patients.

David M Dillon, DMD
Dillon Family Dentistry
+1 610-525-5497
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