More Clues In Treating Sleep Apnea Using Tonsil Size and Tongue Indentation
Sleep apnea is a disruptive condition that upsets a person's regular sleeping patterns. Not only does it affect untreated sufferers, it also disturbs their partners. However, a fresh insightful study suggests that paying a visit to a dentist may lead us to a better understanding of the sleeping disorder.
As it turns out, searching for clues of potential obstructive sleep apnea may be more productive while having a dental check-up rather than endlessly identifying signs while taking a trip to dream land in bed.
Recently, a group of University at Buffalo-based orthodontic experts led by Thikriat Al-Jewair suggests that tonsil size and tongue indentation can aid dental practitioners in identifying signs and symptoms linked to sleep-related disorders like sleep apnea more effectively than most general physicians. A news report on the study also heightened the contributing role that dentists play in providing treatment to people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
The study involved screening 200 patients with potential OSA risk factors in clinics at the University Of Dammam College Of Dentistry in Saudi Arabia. One report stated that the common factors among participants with high OSA risk include obesity as well as large tonsil size and tongue indentations. Of all the 200 patients who underwent the OSA assessment, 23% were deemed high-risk with 80% of them identified as males.
While dentists certainly cannot diagnose the sleeping disorder, they are in a unique position to spot for signs which should enable them to identify and recommend possible OSA patients to sleep medicine experts.
"Dentists see into their patient's mouths more than physicians do and the signs are easy to identify. We need to teach students about this condition before they get out in the field and educate dentists about the major role they play in identifying and treating patients with sleep-related disorders," advised lead researcher Al-Jewair.
The study is published in the University of Buffalo News Center
