Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you snore loudly? Are you drained of energy when you wake up? You may have OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea), a medical condition in which breathing pauses hundreds of times during the night. This increases risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia and depression.
New research shows this condition can be identified by your dentist more quickly than studying sleep patterns or other medical history.
Key takeaways:
– Experts suggest a dentist should discuss sleeping problems with patients who exhibit the key symptoms.
– OSA can lead to heart disease, diabetes and depression.
– Obesity appears to increase the risk of sleep apnoea.
“Dentists see into their patient’s mouths more than physicians do and the signs are easy to identify.”
Matthew Houlton BDS(Sheffield) MFGDP(UK)I’m Matthew Houlton, principal dentist and practice owner of Manor House Dental Practice.
Qualified from Sheffield dental hospital in 1993.
Post graduate training with Paul Tipton (Specialist Prosthodontist) from 2005-2007.
Diploma for Membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) 2007.
Special interest in Orthodontics.
Yorkshire Deanary Fixed Appliance Training Scheme 2002-2004.
I have worked at York Hospital’s orthodontic department one session a week since 2009.
Member of the British Society of Occlusal Studies (the study of temporomandibular disorder).
I have two children, who keep me busy when I am not at the practice. I take a keen interest in and teach Aikido, a martial art, to keep a healthy mind and body.
