Sleep Apnea

Millions of people worldwide suffer from the common sleep disease known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It is caused by the obstruction or narrowing of the upper airway, which results in snoring and irregular breathing while you sleep.

OSA can harm health, including a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Orthognathic surgery, which corrects jaw and faces bone irregularities, is one option for treating OSA. This article will discuss how orthognathic surgery can treat sleep apnea.

What Is Orthognathic Surgery?

A form of surgery known as orthognathic surgery is used to treat anomalies in the jaw and face bones.

Usually, it’s done to fix a bad bite or to make the face look better. The lower jaw (mandible), the upper jaw (maxilla), or both can be operated on. To guarantee that the teeth are in the right place after surgery, orthognathic surgery is frequently performed with orthodontic therapy.

How Can Orthognathic Surgery Treat Sleep Apnea?

Orthognathic surgery can alleviate sleep apnea by treating the underlying structural anomalies that produce the disorder. A deviated septum, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, anomalies in the jaw and facial bones, and others frequently contribute to OSA. These anomalies can be fixed with orthognathic surgery, allowing for better ventilation while you sleep.

Here are the different ways orthognathic surgery can help treat sleep apnea:

1. Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA)

Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) is an orthognathic surgery involving moving the upper and lower jaws forward. This increases the size of the airway and reduces the likelihood of obstruction during sleep. MMA is typically reserved for patients with severe OSA who have not responded to other treatments.

2. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a procedure that involves removing excess tissue from the soft palate, uvula, and pharynx. This can help to reduce snoring and improve airflow during sleep. UPPP is often done with other procedures, such as GA or MMA.

3. Genioglossus Advancement (GA)

Genioglossus advancement (GA) is a procedure that involves moving the muscle that controls the tongue forward. This helps to keep the tongue from blocking the airway during sleep. GA is typically done with other procedures, such as MMA or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP).

4. Mandibular Osteotomy (MO)

Mandibular Osteotomy (MO) is a procedure that involves moving the lower jaw forward. This can help increase the airway’s size and reduce the likelihood of obstruction during sleep. MO is typically reserved for patients with mild to moderate OSA who have not responded to other treatments.

The Benefits of Orthognathic Surgery for Sleep Apnea

Orthognathic surgery is a surgical procedure that corrects jaw abnormalities, including the position of the upper and lower jaws and the alignment of the teeth. While the primary purpose of orthognathic surgery is to improve facial aesthetics and correct functional issues, it can also significantly impact sleep apnea.

Improved Airway Patency

Orthognathic surgery can expand the airway by realigning the jaws, removing obstacles, and reducing the severity of sleep apnea. The technique can effectively address the anatomical causes of sleep apnea by enlarging the upper airway’s skeletal structure. To widen the airway and create more room in the back of the throat, the upper and lower jaws are moved forward during surgery—the number of apneic episodes while sleeping declines due to the expanded airway space.

Improved Sleep Quality

The natural sleep cycle is broken by sleep apnea, resulting in fragmented and restless sleep. Orthognathic surgery can enhance sleep quality by addressing the root problems, enabling patients to get more rejuvenating sleep. Patients will have more energy, a better mood, and better overall health if they get better-quality sleep.

Reduced Dependence on CPAP

Orthognathic surgery may provide a long-term remedy for sleep apnea, lowering or doing away with the requirement for CPAP therapy. Orthognathic surgery may be a good alternative for patients who cannot tolerate CPAP or have poor adherence, offering long-lasting advantages.

Orthognathic surgery might be the only practical choice for those unable to adhere to the therapy schedule. Surgery can lessen the requirement for CPAP therapy, resulting in better general health and sleep.

Improved Breathing Function

Orthognathic surgery can enhance daytime and nighttime breathing efficiency. Breathing problems are frequently experienced by sleep apnea patients when exerting themselves through exercise or other physical activities. Orthognathic surgery can improve breathing function and enable patients to breathe more easily and comfortably by addressing the underlying causes of sleep apnea.

Enhanced Quality of Life

The quality of life of those who suffer from sleep apnea can be significantly impaired. It may result in decreased productivity, irritability, and daytime weariness. Orthognathic surgery can enhance patients’ quality of life by optimizing breathing function, promoting sleep quality, and reducing the severity of sleep apnea. The patient’s energy level, mood, and general health will all improve.

Improved Cardiovascular Health

An increased risk of cardiovascular illness, such as hypertension, stroke, and heart attack, is linked to sleep apnea. Orthognathic surgery can help lower the risk of these major health issues by enhancing sleep quality and reducing the severity of sleep apnea. According to studies, orthognathic surgery can help patients with sleep apnea better control their blood pressure, lowering their risk of cardiovascular disease.

Risks and Considerations

Orthognathic surgery has dangers, just like any surgical operation; thus, it must be carefully considered. Orthognathic surgery carries some risks, including the possibility of infection, bleeding, nerve injury, and relapse. Additionally, patients must be ready for a lengthy recovery period involving a liquid diet and several weeks of restricted activity.

Not all sleep apnea patients can benefit from orthodontic surgery. If a patient is a good candidate for the operation, they must go through a thorough evaluation by a skilled oral and maxillofacial surgeon and sleep medicine specialist.

Conclusion

Patients with sleep apnea who have not responded to previous therapies may benefit from orthodontic surgery. The operation can fix structural issues with the jaw and facial bones, resulting in better sleep, breathing and a lower chance of health issues

Unlock the Benefits of Twice-Yearly Dental Visits

From childhood, you would have been familiar with the standard order of brushing your teeth twice daily, visiting the dentist for an oral checkup, and practicing daily flossing. Even though it seemed stressful at that time, these practices helped you overcome many oral problems while you grew into adulthood. People who ignore dental visits are susceptible to having severe oral problems.

Also, skipping a day or two from brushing your teeth might seem harmless until you continue practicing the habit, and in no time, your oral health will also penetrate your overall health. Therefore, there is a need to keep the mouth clean and a greater need to visit your dentist for bi-annual checkups. The following are the benefits of visiting your dentist twice yearly:

1. It Improves Healthy Teeth and Clean Smiles

It Improves Healthy Teeth and Clean SmilesImagine grinning at someone, and they turn away in disgust, or having your peers make fun of you because you cannot mingle confidently without hiding away your appalling teeth. When you practice frequent teeth brushing and flossing, it might take a while, but you will gradually get back your bright smile when you allow your dentist to help you.

Home practices of flossing and brushing are relevant for improving your oral health, but your dentist will do much more for you. No matter how many times you brush your teeth, if you already have plaque buildup that has turned to hard yellow deposits on your teeth, only your dentist can help you get rid of them. If you are trying to carry out severe teeth cleaning on already damaged teeth, you likely take forever to get rid of buildups.

Your toothbrush cannot even remove strong tartars, and when you shy away from visiting your dentist, loads of bacteria will lead to tooth cavities, and you will soon suffer gingivitis and probably lose some teeth. Your expert dental specialist can use professional equipment to remove tartar from your teeth. After your dentist carries out a professional deep cleaning on your teeth, you will feel fresher and cleaner in your mouth.

2. It Helps You Prevent Gum Diseases

It Helps You Prevent Gum DiseasesGum diseases are painful, and they usually cause inflammation of the gumline. Gum problems can begin from gingivitis and escalate to periodontal cases. Periodontitis is a severe inflammation that firmly deteriorates the bones that hold the gum and teeth. Your gum line can appear reddish, tender, bleeding, and swollen when you have gum disease.

If you have been away from your dentist, it will be difficult to identify this problem on your own during its early stage. When you visit your dentist twice daily, you undergo oral examinations and dental X-rays to determine early periodontal problems. The problem can lead to the teeth loosening from their hold, and they can later fall out. Also, periodontal diseases can lead to jawbone deterioration due to intensive infection, inflammation, and tooth loss. Visiting your dentist twice yearly can stop these problems from occurring.

3. Early Detection of the Problem

Oral health problems can sometimes escalate due to neglect or procrastination in fixing a dental appointment. Many people who now suffer serious issues with their teeth would have saved themselves from expensive treatment and excruciating pain if they had visited their dentist early.

The dentist knows how to catch these problems on time and helps you prevent tartar buildup, cavities, and tooth loss. Also, while the yellow film on the teeth leads to gum disease due to cavities, it further causes the teeth to wear off. But, all these stages of tooth loss will not occur if you meet your dentist on time. Before they become major problems, your dentist will inform you and provide adequate treatment to prevent them from happening. Your dentist can help you save money and exonerate you from invasive approaches.

4. It Helps in Securing Your Overall Health

Once your oral hygiene practice is good enough, your entire health responds to better functions. It is no longer news that most oral health problems are the leading courses of some terminal diseases. Bacteria in the mouth can penetrate the blood to cause severe infections, such as heart diseases, diabetes, and stroke. The best thing is for you to take yourself to the dentist’s desk two times every year, and you will only hear about these problems, but they will never happen to you. Try not to have poor oral health, which can lead to negative problems with your general health.

5. Your Dentist Can Monitor You for Oral Cancer

Cancer is a life-threatening problem that can cause you so much pain. When you visit the dentist frequently, you will be on consistent cancer monitoring as part of your routine checkup. If your dentist detects a trace of cancer, it is possible to apply the remedy on time since the illness will only be at its early stage. Also, treatments are usually successful.

Your dentist has tools that they can use when checking you up for oral cancer. The dentist screens the mouth sores and checks for white or red patches, lumps, and any other malfunctions in your mouth. People who miss yearly appointments will not have this opportunity to know the state of their oral health.

6. It Can Help You Treating Bad Breath

Chronic bad breath can be embarrassing, especially if your own is beyond eating a particular food or just a morning breath. People who complain about their breath suffer from halitosis, a condition due to poor oral practice. You cannot treat halitosis by yourself. Your dentist can help you identify the problem source and provide adequate treatment.

Conclusion

If you cannot recall the last time you visited a dentist, you might be causing harm to yourself without knowing. Maintain twice yearly professional dental visits for deep oral cleaning and general checkups. You can schedule an appointment at a dental clinic near you. What’s more? If you have a child showing early orthodontic signs or you need to straighten your smile, you can book appointments with Miami orthodontics.

5 Questions to Ask when Choosing an Orthodontist

Everyone deserves to smile confidently, no matter who they are or what phase they are in. So, when you decide to improve your smile, know that you have just made the best investment that will also boost your general health. However, choosing the best orthodontic to help you throughout your treatment journey is as relevant as getting those nice teeth.

It can seem like an easy process, but nobody walks up to an orthodontic specialist and starts an orthodontic treatment without checking to see if they are reliable. The whole idea of having a straighter is exciting. But the orthodontist you work with can even make it more worthwhile. Here is a guide on how questions you must ask before selecting the right orthodontist.

1. Do You Have Good Reviews about Your Orthodontic Practice from Previous Patients?

Before you choose an orthodontic specialist to give you a straighter smile, ask if other patients they have worked with have nice reviews about them. If they have online review platforms, you should go there and check what others say about them. From reviews, you can tell if they are reliable to work with or if they can offer you the quality of care you need. Your Miami orthodontist has a support team to take you on a successful teeth-straightening journey. They also have authentic reviews from past patients, and you can go through them before making a decision.

2. Do You Have Adequate Certification and Training to Carry Out Orthodontic Treatments?

Most people who claim to have the skills and expertise in orthodontic treatments might not be as real as they claim to be. It would help if you never assumed that all orthodontic specialists have certifications and proper training. Even if someone recommended them, you still have to determine whether they are reliable. A good orthodontist must pass through serious training during their academic studies.

Orthodontic practice is a part of dentistry, but those who practice them are known as orthodontists and not dentists. Orthodontics is a core of medicines that allows the trained specialist to treat you on a specific area of your dental need. While a good dentist supplies you with advice and guidance on your crown and cavities, a properly trained orthodontist handles issues related to your dental braces.

Make sure you ask them if they have proper orthodontic training in these areas:

  • How to re-establish patients’ facial structure and growth by creating another alveolar structure for them.
  • The maturation and studies of a patient’s jaw and teeth.
  • Biomechanical methodologies that ascertain proper teeth realignment
  • Case studies

Therefore, you must be sure if you want to depend on a particular orthodontist before starting your treatment journey. The person must have good orthodontic training and top-notch experience.

3. Can You Give Accounts of Your Orthodontic Experience?

It is important to know that much about your orthodontist. Trace the background and see the level of experience your orthodontist has. You can ask them several questions that align with their qualifications, especially during your consultation visit. From your first interaction, you can determine if an orthodontic is good enough for you.

You can ask them the following questions:

  • Which school did you attend?
  • How many years have you practiced as an orthodontic specialist?
  • Do you practice updated treatment options?

Any orthodontic specialist with proper training and qualifications can answer your questions and make you feel comfortable if you wish to know more about them.

4. What Treatments Can You Offer Me?

Most patients wonder what treatments to expect. But, orthodontic approaches are unique for treating malocclusions. However, patients have different orthodontic problems, so you can ask your orthodontist specialist some questions, such as; who will oversee my treatment process, how long will my treatment last, will I get follow-up visits, and how often? Asking these questions gets you prepared for the treatment procedure and outcome.

5. What Treatment Plans Are Available for Me?

Your orthodontist will work with you based on the treatment options they have strategized to meet your needs. Only your orthodontist knows what treatment will work best for you. Therefore, do not make decisions that will slow down the treatment process.

Also, getting orthodontic braces can take an extensive process that needs years of assistance and work in most cases. Since each treatment has a strategic duration, you should work hand in hand with your orthodontist to know what treatment methods are available for you to try.

There is a vast range of orthodontic treatment plans as follows:

Traditional Braces

Traditional braces are made up of brackets and wires. Many people reject using metal braces for their orthodontic treatment because they are too common and mostly worn by kids. However, metal braces are reliable for realigning malocclusions.

The braces work by firmly holding the wires connected to each tooth. Continuous pressure can move your teeth slowly and gradually throughout the treatment period. The time for wearing traditional orthodontic braces is between 12-36 months. But, this can rely on the severity of your malocclusions, how fast you respond to treatment, and your practices to determine your perfect result.

Clear Braces

Clear braces are teeth aligners that are as effective as traditional metal braces. The difference between the two approaches is in their appearances. While metal braces have components such as wires and brackets, clear braces use transparent ceramic brackets. Adults prefer them as they can blend with the natural teeth color, making them discreet in appearance.

Invisalign

InvisalignInvisalign or clear aligners are removable orthodontic treatment approaches that use clear trays to adjust teeth. They do not make use of wires and brackets like the others. They are discreet, allowing you to continue your treatment without many people knowing. It is also the fastest, as you can wear the tray for up to 15 months.

Conclusion

When deciding to get a straighter smile, it is right to ask questions about the best orthodontic specialists to work with. Asking relevant questions can help you know if the orthodontist will be good for you and your household before hiring them.

best orthodontist in Miami

With the advancement in the world of medical science, today you get treatment for varied oral health concerns. Since a long time ago, teeth misalignment has been one of the most crucial dental issues. Misaligned teeth cause various health issues. You find it hard to chew the food properly. It links to digestive health and causes gut issues. People reach out to the best orthodontist to get the treatment. Besides, you ensure they provide effective treatment and products—braces or Invisalign. Usually, people think that the success of the orthodontic treatment is depended on the orthodontic professionals. But it is not the complete truth.

Why Orthodontic Appliances Are Ideal At Any Age

What are the uses of Orthodontic Appliances? Are they useful with anyone? How did you know if this helpful especially to children? As early as 7 – 9 years of age, kids must get a specialized orthodontic assessment. This is constantly performing by a Best Orthodontist Miami, a dentist who has experienced added training and who concentrates in aligning and Teeth Straightening In Miami.

How Often Should You See Your Orthodontist- Miami Orthodontist Group

We all know Orthodontist Surgeon is specialized in diagnosing, preventing and correcting the Teeth Alignment and jaws. No one enjoys visiting the dental practitioner every now and then, but we ought to do that for the sake of our oral health. An Orthodontist is none other than the specialized dentist. These practitioners provide Crossbite Treatment and fix Dental Braces and more. You have to visit the right surgeon for dealing with your oral issues.

Everything You Need to Know about Braces and Rubber Bands

Braces and rubber bands both are very effective in straightening your teeth and for the treatment of misaligned jaw. Commonly, wearing braces is enough but in some cases, orthodontist also provides you rubber bands with braces to wear. Rubber bands put extra tension on your teeth to move them in the right position or to the right place. Rubber bands work with the braces to provide you more constant force.