Understanding Sleep Apnea (NAPSA)—It can seem humorous in cartoons, but snoring can be a symptom of a serious problem: sleep apnea. Thirty percent of adult males and 20 percent of adult females suffer from sleep apnea. The Problem People with this problem, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, characteristically make periodic gasping or “snorting” noises, during which their sleep is momentarily interrupted. This can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and can pose serious health implications. The condition has been linked to obesity, heart disease and otherillnesses. More than 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and an estimated 10 million more haveit and don’t even knowit. A Cause One common cause is temporomandibular (jaw joint) disorder, or TMD, which can also cause headaches, including migraines; neck, back and shoulder pain; ringing in jaw pain, a special kind of dentist may be able to help. gling fingers. jaw position permanent. Accord- meaning your upper teeth and lower teeth don’t close together correctly. When that happens, the muscles in your head and neck are strained and constantly looking for a more relaxed position. An Answer Fortunately, TMD and sleep apnea are treatable by specially To learn more andto locate a specially trained neuromuscular dentist near you, visit www.lead ingdentists.com. the ears; jaw popping; and tinTMD stems from a bad bite, If you or someone you care about has sleep apnea, headaches or trained neuromuscular dentists. They perform comprehensiveevaluations that include measuring the strain on your jaw muscles electronically. Using computer analysis, a neuromuscular dentist will locate your jaw’s most comfortable resting position. Once the new jaw position is found, the dentist can fit you with a mouth guard—like device for use when sleeping or fit you with crowns and veneers to makethis new pain-free, sleep-enhancing ing to Dr. Mark Duncan of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, only 5 percent of the world’s dentists are trained in neuromuscular dentistry. Learn More
