This Dentist Can Help You Solve Your Snoring Problems
Dowell
When his mother called him with an unusual challenge, Dr. Jeff Rodgers was a Georgia general dentist. He wanted to solve her sleep apnea using a CPAP machine. However, he had no knowledge of dental sleep medicine. He is an expert in sleep apnea and snoring, having established a practice almost exclusively dedicated to this issue for over 20 years.
As Dr. Rodgers discusses his biggest obstacle, the snoring appliance you shouldn’t buy, and how the right type of dental appliance can save a marriage, I invite you to join me.
How did you get interested in sleep dentistry and how did it come about?
My mother was the first person I treated for sleep apnea, diagnosed twenty years ago. She preferred to die in her sleep rather than use a CPAP machine. She was told by a doctor that she could have an oral appliance fitted, but she would need to visit a dentist. She called me because I am a dentist. I replied, « No, Mom, I don’t know what I am doing. » She replied, « Figure it out, I’m coming to you. »
My main job is dental sleep medicine. My favorite part about my job is when a spouse calls me to tell me that they have slept with their husband or wife for first time in many years.
Dr. Jeff Rodgers DMD, DABDSM, D–ASBA
Oral devices can be custom-fitted and prescribed for sleep apnea or snoring. What is the difference between them and the CPAP machine
Many people don’t like the CPAP, or find it difficult to use. The difference in compliance rates between the CPAP versus oral appliances is striking.
Imagine a hundred people using a CPAP their first time. Only forty of them will still be wearing it a full year later. In a year, 85% of people who wear dental appliances will still be using them.
What is the importance of dentists as a first line defense against sleep apnea
Although we are often the first point of contact for many people, I do not start treatment without a doctor’s diagnosis. We treat a very small percentage of sleep apnea as dentists. This problem is not something dentists can diagnose but they are trained to treat it.
What do you think about inexpensive sleep apnea and snore devices that can be ordered online?A custom fitting?
They are the bane of all my existence. They don’t fit well, are bulky, and they don’t stay in your mouth. Some of them block the airway, worsening sleep apnea and snoring. They only work a third of their time.
After trying these devices, people come in to tell me they are disappointed. However, they don’t necessarily mean that a custom-fit appliance will work. FDA approval will not be granted to any device that isn’t made specifically for you and can be adjusted by one millimeter. Jaw adjustment is what makes them function or not.
Dr. Jeff Rodgers
How important is weight in sleep apnea
This disorder is very serious if you are overweight. Sleep apnea is more common in a man who snores or has a neck circumference of 43 cm. Sleep apnea can be made worse if the chin is receded. Apnea can be improved by weight loss, but it must be substantial – approximately 10% of your total body weight.
The popularity of at-home sleep studies is growing. Are you sure they are reliable?
At-home studies are my favorite. Although they aren’t the same as a study in a lab, there aren’t enough doctors or labs to treat everyone suffering from sleep apnea.
Every US sleep doctor sees 52,000 patients suffering from apnea.
My biggest challenge was convincing sleep doctors that dental appliances actually work. We just have to make sure doctors are aware of the effectiveness of these devices. An oral device is a good option if patients are willing to follow treatment and their apnea symptoms are not severe.
