Sleep & Breathing Disorders

Do you (or a loved one) snore? Hold your breath while asleep? Wake up exhausted? Feel highly fatigued during the day? Have problems with mental clarity and focus?

Does your child have learning problems? Behavioral problems? Have crowded or crooked teeth? Breath through their mouths? Wet the bed?

These can all be symptoms of a breathing disorder.

Proper breathing through the nose is necessary for the restful sleep we require for optimal health. But some 18 million American adults (and probably an equal number of children) have a chronic disorder characterized by repeated airway obstruction while sleeping. As the body compensates by mouth breathing, nitric oxide decreases, blood pressure rises, hormone balances change, and other essential and restorative body processes halt. Patients with this disorder will actually stop breathing for at least 10 seconds multiple times per hour and often wake up gasping for air, snoring, wheezing, or choking.

This disorder – obstructive sleep apnea or OSA – has been related to life-threatening conditions including high blood pressure, cardiac events, diabetes and stroke, as well as mood and memory disorders. It also has recently been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, a key issue for America’s aging population.

Plus, studies suggest that as many as 50% of children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD may actually suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, and that much of their learning difficulties and behavioral problems may be a consequence of chronic fragmented sleep.

Dr Jackie Schafer is a trained and certified VIVOS specialist and is uniquely qualified to identify, diagnose and provide effective treatment planning for maxillary hypoplasia and mandibular retrusion, conditions which are often associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

Utilizing dental appliances much like a retainer, our patients are experiencing permanent, profound health benefits through the VIVOS Breathing Wellness Therapy. Find out how you or your family can be easily, and painlessly, tested. Studies have shown that after 12 to 18 months, most patients return to normal sleep and breathing without the continued use of appliances or CPAP machines.

Don’t wait another night – call today!