Dental News - Company urges dentists to screen for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea

Fred Michmershuizen, DTA

Tue. 30 June 2009

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NEW YORK CITY, NY, USA: It has been estimated that in the United States alone 20 million men, women and children suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Millions more snore. Of these 20 million, only about 10 per cent have been diagnosed despite the fact that the average life span of an untreated sleep apneic is years less than those without sleep apnea. Because obstructive sleep apnea is reaching almost epidemic, Snoring Isn’t Sexy, an affiliation of qualified dentists, has launched an initiative to have all dentists screen their patients for both snoring and sleep apnea.

The goal of Snoring Isn’t Sexy, founded by retired dentist Laurence I. Barsh, DMD, is to encourage dentists to receive proper background education in this emerging field, to act as an information resource for patients.

Snoring and sleep apnea have been related to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, depression and erectile dysfunction as well as vehicular accidental injury and death. The increased medical costs of those with untreated sleep apnea are estimated to be in the billions a year.

“Oral appliance therapy (for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea) has been accepted as an alternative or supplement to CPAP in some instances and yet the public and many dentists remain unaware of the vital role of the dentist as part of the healthcare team for the recognition and management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea,” Dr Barsh wrote in an editorial published in Sleep and Breathing, Vol. 13, No. 1, February 2009, titled The recognition and management of sleep-breathing disorders: a mandate for dentistry.

In an interview following publication of the article, Dr Barsh added, “Because of the close relationship of dentists with our patients, we are in an ideal position to screen our patients for snoring and sleep apnea and either become involved in the management of the problems or refer our patients to those who are.”

Dr Barsh, who has been involved with sleep medicine since 1992, now devotes his time to educating the public about dentistry’s role and responsibility in the recognition and management of snoring and sleep apnea. Dr Barsh and the dentists associated with Snoring Isn’t Sexy, LLC feel strongly that management of sleep-breathing disorders is a shared responsibility of both the medical and dental professions.

Dr Barsh spoke at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine in Seattle, WA, USA, on 5 June. He advised the attendees that the profession has an obligation to screen dental patients for snoring and sleep apnea and work with physicians in management of treatment. He said that while practice Web sites are an ideal way to educate the public about the medical problems associated with sleep breathing disorders and dentistry’s role in their treatment, more effort is needed to reach those who may be unaware that they have a sleep breathing disorder.

“Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are ideal ways to start a conversation with the public who may not know that their health can be affected by problems with breathing during sleep,” said Dr Barsh. “Our role as doctors is primarily one of education. People who are unaware that they may have a sleep-breathing problem are online, and we have to go where they are if we are to succeed in any form of awareness campaign.”

Snoring Isn’t Sexy LLC consists of independently owned and operated affiliated office

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