What is Dental Sleep Medicine?

Dental sleep medicine is an area of dental practice that focuses on the use of oral appliance therapy to treat sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder characterized by cessation of a patient’s breathing several times a night. Sleep is a restorative process for our body. Without sleep, you can quickly become rundown and tired, even risking your overall health. Common symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing are high blood pressure, daytime sleepiness, lack of concentration, and choking or gasping during sleep.

Kiene Dental Group offers a completely FREE screening for obstructive sleep apnea. Our doctors work closely with sleep physicians in our area to ensure you receive the best care possible and to diagnosis this common disorder.

Oral Appliance Therapy

For patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea, and for those who are CPAP intolerant, an oral appliance can be a successful treatment option. Oral appliances support your jaw in a forward position to help maintain an open upper airway while you sleep. Oral appliances help make sleep more comfortable and can prevent the need for bulky CPAP equipment. By treating your sleep apnea, you can reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and depression.

Advanced Training

Dr. Josh Kiene is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, the only non-profit professional association dedicated exclusively to the practice of dental sleep medicine. Dr. Josh helps treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy, an effective treatment that is covered by most insurance plans. AADSM membership provides Dr. Josh with access to educational resources and practice management tools that help him better serve his patients by providing the highest quality of care in the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

For more information about AADSM, visit www.aadsm.org.