Fort Lauderdale Area Dentist Explains the Benefits of Oral Appliance Therapy vs. a CPAP Machine

Everyone wants and deserves a good night sleep. But if you suffer from obstructive sleep apea sometimes the treatment can be worse than the condition itself.  The most common treatment involves strapping a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to your face while you sleep. While effective most people would prefer not to use one. Fortunately, for many sleep apnea sufferers, there are alternative treatments to CPAP that can be just as effective.

• Elevating your head at night— Propping up the end of the bed where you rest your head can help to unblock the airways during sleep making it easier for you to breath.
• Managing Your Weight — Obesity is a major contributing factor to sleep apnea. Fat deposits can fill throat tissue blocking your airway. Just a 10% loss in weight has been shown to decrease sleep apnea symptoms.
• Decongestants — Using a nasal decongestant can temporarily reduce nasal swelling and improve your breathing at night.
• Avoid Alcohol — Avoid the night cap before bedtime

If those suggestions are not enough there is an alternative therapy called dental appliance therapy.  A dental appliance most closely resembles a mouth guard that you may have used when playing sports or an orthodontics guard you might have used if you needed braces. The purpose of the appliance is to slightly adjust the angle of your jaw so that the soft tissue in the back of your throat can't collapse thereby eliminating the cause of the obstruction.

The appliance itself is custom designed based on a digital x-ray or a physical mold. Your doctor will carefully adjust the appliance to ensure both comfort and the desired results are achieved. Once the appliance is ready, all you have to do is install it like a mouth guard when you go to sleep.

Why Choose a Dental Appliance Makes Over CPAP

For decades people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea had been treated with a CPAP machine. Here's why most patients now prefer a dental appliance:

• Comfort — Appliances are natural and comfortable to use. Just slip it in your mouth and go to sleep. CPAP systems require wearing a mask connected to a hose.
• Quiet — On average, the person who shares a bed with a snorer loses at least an hour of sleep per night. Appliances are silent. CPAP systems are run by an electric motor to pump air into the mask that creates a noise.
• Convenience — Appliances are travel-friendly. There are no special requirements needed. CPAP requires an electrical connection and space for the pump and hose.
• Effectiveness —There are over a dozen clinical publications demonstrating the effectiveness of oral appliances (OA) compared to CPAP.

If you have questions about sleep apnea dental appliances please feel free to call our offices. We have the most comprehensive dental appliance services in the Fort Lauderdale area. Call today.

Original Source: https://firstwestondentist.com/fort-lauderdale-sleep-apnea-oral-appliances-vs-CPAP/

Weston’s Top Dentist Explains the Concerns About Dry Mouth

Everyone has experienced a dry mouth at least once in their lifetime. For others, this can be an everyday problem. Depending on the time and frequency of dry mouth (xerostomia), we can learn a lot from this. Occasional dry mouth can be normal from time to time. However, when dry mouth becomes more frequent it can be a sign of an underlying health problem.

What causes dry mouth?

• Dehydration
• Mouth Breathing
• Medications
• Medical conditions
• Malfunctioning saliva glands
• Smoking

Saliva is especially important in protecting your oral health. In a dry mouth, teeth are more susceptible to cavities, your mouth can have a burning feeling, you may have difficulty speaking and swallowing, and may lose your sense of taste. This can be very frustrating and life altering.

Why do you need saliva?

• Neutralize bacteria
• Strengthen teeth
• Begin digestive process
• Aid in taste

Solving dry mouth associated with dehydration is simple, drink more water. For all of the other causes, the solution becomes more challenging. Our first recommendations are sipping water throughout the day, chewing gum containing xylitol, using alcohol-free mouth rinse, limiting caffeine intake, and stopping smoking. If these simple remedies do not work its time to seek adjunctive care.

Products that can help

·         Neutrasal

·         Biotene

·         Oracoat

·         Sugar free candies

If you have tried all of the simple recommendations it may be time to explore the use of mouth rinses that are designed for dry mouth. We have seen patients improve their saliva flow in addition to lowering their chance of gum disease or cavities by using these. Rinsing 2-3 times per day can help change the oral environment and in turn benefit your overall health. If it is medication induced, you should speak to your physician about the medications you are taking and possible alternatives.

Overall, dry mouth is a widespread problem that rarely gets talked about. There are some definite solutions to this issue. If you are experiencing any of dry mouth symptoms, please let us know. We will be happy to discuss the plan of action.

As always, we look forward to seeing you soon.

Weston Sleep Apnea Dentist Stephen J. Pyle Chooses WSI for New Website and Online Marketing

Stephen J. Pyle, DDS continued his long-term relationship with WSI by launching a new website in February of 2019 for sleep apnea treatment in Weston Florida. As a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM), Dr. Pyle is part of an elite group of dentists who have an in-depth level of knowledge in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea using oral appliance therapy.

Dr. Pyle has been practicing traditional family and cosmetic dentistry while employing state-of-the-art technology since opening his office in Weston back in 1986. In his more than three decades as a Weston Dentist.

The online marketing campaign is designed to help grow the business by driving highly targeted traffic to the new website and converting that traffic into leads and new patients. 

WSI’s ongoing monthly online marketing campaign includes search engine optimization (SEO). The SEO campaign targets several terms that are relevant to the business including:

• Weston Snoring Treatment
• Sleep Apnea Doctor Weston
• Sleep Disorders Weston

The SEO campaign will include the weekly creation of relevant content to be added to the website and to newly created blogs on Blogger, Wordpress, and Tumblr. In just a few months the campaign has already shown great results driving up new patients dramatically.

WSI Online Solutions is a Website Design company in Broward County having worked with dozens of area clients including Weston Personal Injury Lawyers Martin, Lister & Alvarez, Broward's First Rheumatology Practice and Hollywood Florida’s Best Hospital for Pet Surgery Hospital and Body Up Patient Lift.

Original Source: http://www.wsi-onlinesolutions.com/weston-sleep-apnea-dentist-stephen-j-pyle-chooses-wsi-for-new-website-and-online-marketing

Valentines Day Tips from Weston Florida’s Top Cosmetic Dentist

To most of us Valentines Day means flowers, candy, kissing and maybe even a glass of red wine or two. There’s no doubt your mouth plays a featured role in this holiday. Here are a few tips to make sure you are ready for the big day.

Give Flowers Not Cavities

As a kid you probably heard on the playground that you could get “couties” from kissing. While you may have changed your opinion of kissing as an adult that childhood advice wasn’t entirely wrong.  Kissing can stimulates saliva, which can actually help you to fight cavities. But if your Valentine has poor dental health, you run the risk of getting unwanted germs. If they have bacteria in their mouth that causes them cavities it can spread to you. Make sure your sweetheart is brushing twice daily and that they only give you flowers or candy not cavities this Valentine’s Day.

Take a Breath

Nobody wants bad breath especially when you are getting up close for Valentine’s Day. Bacteria is a big cause of bad breath. Of course regular brushing and flossing is essential for fresh breath but it’s sometimes not enough. After a romantic meal you can always use an ADA approved over the counter mouthwash or sugarless gum to help freshen up.

Whiten Up You Smile

There is nothing less attractive then yellow stained teeth. Valentines’ Day is a good time to think about teeth whitening. Many stains are underneath the enamel and the only effective method to reach them is having a cosmetic dentist apply a special product.

At our office, two systems are used: 

• ZOOM: This technique is a teeth bleaching accomplished in the dentist’s chair. Lips and gums are protected, and the ZOOM gel is applied to the teeth. The procedure involves three applications with a 15-minute wait time between each. Results can be dramatic. 
• Opalescence: This process is very similar except no light is used. The lips and gums are protected then the gel is applied to each tooth. Wait time is 20 minutes between applications rather than 15 but only two applications are required. 

Be Sweet But Not Too Sweet

If you are giving chocolate this year remember, chocolate is good but dark chocolate is even better. Most people love it and it can be cleaned off teeth easier than most other candy. If your are giving sweets offer dark chocolate it has less sugar than milk chocolate.

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Original source: https://firstwestondentist.com/weston-teeth-whitening-dentist-valentines-day/