The cycle of OSA
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the airway completely collapses blocking airflow into the lungs. The harder one tries to breathe, the tighter the airway seals. This airway obstruction persists until the brain partially awakens the person. Unconsciously, he/she will close the jaw returning the tongue and throat to a normal position.

The cycle of falling asleep-jaw relaxing, airway collapsing, unconsciously awakening with a gasp, falling back asleep-can repeat itself up to one time per minute or more in severe cases. With a blocked airway, one does not receive enough oxygen and this can trigger both minor and serious health problems.

Sleep disordered breathing
Research shows that 74% of American adults experience sleeping problems a few nights a week or more; and more than one in three (37%) are so sleepy during the day that their sleepiness interferes with their activities.

Sleeping problems may affect:

• your productivity and performance at work
• increase your risk of injury or illness
• cause strain in personal relationships
• be a sign of a more serious problem called obstructive sleep apnea.

One of the leading reasons and highest contributing factors to poor sleep is sleep disordered breathing, which includes snoring and sleep apnea. One third of the older adult population snores, and snoring is four times more common in men than women. The quality of your sleep affects your daily activities and has a huge impact on the overall quality of your life. If you are not getting enough quality sleep during the night then you and your body may suffer.

A simple yet effective treatment
Loud snoring can destroy relationships. The good news is these problems can be treated with a simple oral appliance. Dr. Ron Perkins offers the redesigned
TAP® (Thornton Adjustable Positioner) appliance as treatment for sleep apnea and snoring. Dr. Perkins' design changes include elimination of several side effects of the original appliance.  These side effects include bite changes, TMJ or jaw joint discomfort, unwanted tooth movement, and separation of teeth. Few other dentists are utilizing these design changes. The TAP appliance is a custom fitted mouthpiece that holds the jaw forward allowing the airway to stay open. The procedure involved in getting started consists of an initial visit to a local dental office that specializes in sleep apnea with oral appliance treatment. Impressions will be taken of your teeth to create your own custom trays. Wearing this appliance at night while you sleep will reduce, or in most cases eliminate, all of your troubling symptoms. Improvements to this newly redesigned appliance made by Dr. Perkins, including posterior support have eliminated some of the serious side effects and have dramatically improved the comfort level of wearing this appliance. He is now able to treat patients with TMD (jaw joint dysfunction) and bruxism as well as sleep apnea.

Dr. Perkins has recovered from severe sleep apnea himself and it was a life-changing experience. He knows what its like to suffer from sleep apnea. Read more stories from his patients.

Other suggested treatments can involve surgery of the throat or a CPAP device. Surgery can result in several weeks of a very painful recovery period and results can often be unsuccessful and not long lasting. The CPAP involves wearing a mask over the nose and forces the airway to open with air pressure. Most people have a difficult time using this device.

If you or someone you know has several of the aforementioned symptoms, contact Dr. Ron Perkins and try a non-invasive, non-surgical approach to this problem.