It’s March, and that means it is National Sleep Awareness Month. Our team of Dentists in Portland are determined to make sure we all understand the importance of good sleep! In this article by Michael Simmons, DMD entitled Not So Golden Slumbers? Learn How Your Dentist Can Help! It really lays out the importance of good sleep. Being a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Jodi Dotson at Smiles Northwest in Portland, Oregon, is a leading dentist in providing snoring and sleep appliances to help patients achieve better sleep and wake up well-rested! Read the below article for why this is so important!
Not So Golden Slumbers? Learn How Your Dentist Can Help! by Michael Simmons, DMD
While sleep is an integral part of health and well-being that accounts for about a third of our lifetime, the study of sleep, sleep disorders and sleep loss is relatively new. However, here are some basics that we do know. The negative impacts of sleep loss and sleep disorders are enormous on both an individual and societal level. Children experiencing poor sleep fail to thrive and adults with this problem are to blame for some of our most devastating modern disasters, including the nuclear accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear facility, the Staten Island ferry crash, and the accidental grounding of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker. Furthermore, a 1989 seminal study on rats subjected to total sleep deprivation demonstrated death within a few weeks. And in 2006, the Institute of Medicine reported in no uncertain terms that sleep disorders and deprivation are an “unmet public health problem.” To make this point even clearer, more studies now recognize sleep disorders as reaching epidemic proportions in the U.S. with conservative numbers of around 50-70 million chronic sufferers.
These staggering facts clearly support why more and more health and dental professionals are being recruited into the study and treatment of sleep disorders. Dentists are especially important as they are in the unique position of providing limited medical therapy for patients suffering from Sleep Related Breathing Disorders (SRBD).
At Smiles Northwest we are certified to provide these custom made appliances and can even send you home with a 1-night sleep test in the comfort of your own home to screen for sleep apnea. Call or text us today to take advantage of our special during Sleep Awareness Month- 503-644-7763
It’s important to know two things:
- Sleep apnea and snoring is a preventable condition
- Often medical insurance will cover the cost of much of the treatments for sleep disorders
We look forward to speaking with you shortly!