The Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh encourage the public to know that alternatives exist to the CPAP machine

Pittsburgh, PA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/05/2015 -- Today, more than 22 million Americans are suffering from sleep apnea, a sleeping disorder where the air passage is blocked and causes a person to stop breathing periodically during their sleep. The more common form, obstructive sleep apnea, is caused when the soft tissue at the back of the throat or the tongue collapses and blocks the airway. This is a serious disorder that affects the brain and body as oxygen pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. Previously, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has been the most widely prescribed treatment for sleep apnea. A new treatment is on the rise, with the use of a customized oral device eliminating sleep apnea's symptoms as it shifts the lower jaw forward so the tongue and tissue are unable to obstruct the airway.

Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause many health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and depression. In extreme cases, it can be the reason for traffic accidents as it restricts most people from getting the proper sleep they need to feel well-rested and be alert at home, work and on the road. When you sleep, air travels through your nose and mouth. The muscles around the back of the throat are tight while a person is awake and relaxed when they sleep. The airway at the opening of the throat becomes narrowed as those muscles relax. When air passes through the narrowed opening, the surrounding tissues begin to vibrate and create a condition we know as snoring.

If the tongue continues to fall back, breathing will become slowed or completely stopped if the tongue collapses against the back of the throat. Now, the most effective way to treat this is to wear a custom-made, removable oral device that prevents the lower jaw from shifting back. This will keep the tongue in the forward position and the airway will remain open. Often, this reduces or eliminates snoring and sleep apnea which enables the body to get quality sleep.

A dentist experienced in the treatment of sleep apnea, such as Dr. Nicole Chenet, DDS and her team at the Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh can fit the custom oral device to the highest possible efficacy. The key is to have the lower jaw re-positioned so that the air passage at the back of the throat remains free from obstruction once your muscles relax and the body enters sleep.

Oral devices provide many advantages in comparison to other available options out there as they do not require surgery or the wearing of a mask on a nightly basis. Cost-effective, convenient for traveling, and easy to wear, dental appliances for the treatment of sleep apnea are revolutionizing the prognosis for sleep apnea sufferers.

About the Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh
Since 2001, Nicole Chenet, DDS and her team at the Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh enjoy restoring patient's smiles to a level they can take pride in. Dr. Nicole Chenet has over 900 hours in continued education to deliver the best care in dentistry to the Pittsburgh area. She is highly dedicate to providing ways for patients to live free of snoring or sleep apnea issues.

To learn more, visit http://www.sadcpgh.com

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Pittsburg dentist Dr. Nicole Chenet will educate attendees on sleep apnea and snoring devices and their efficacy

Pittsburgh, PA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/06/2015 -- Dr. Nicole Chenet, dentist at the Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh has been invited to speak at the 7th Annual PA Sleep Society Meeting on May 2, 2015. The event is a continuing education service of Penn State College of Medicine in partnership with the Pennsylvania Sleep Society. At the meeting, Dr. Chenet will present, "Dental Devices: Evidence on Efficacy and Status of Compliance Monitoring."

The purpose of the annual PA Sleep Society Meeting is to educate physicians, researchers, educators, clinicians, sleep technicians, and other health professionals involved in the field about the need for intervention and diagnostic tests in the practice of sleep medicine, help them apply appropriate intervention and treatment options, and also to analyze current issues and potential changes in the future practice of sleep medicine. Dr. Chenet was chosen to present at the event for her extensive background in treating patients with snoring and sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition that affects more than 22 million Americans. It is a serious sleep disorder that causes very shallow breathing or repeated, extended periods of no breathing while sleeping. These pauses in breathing are typically followed by a loud snort or choking sound. Sleep apnea can prevent much needed oxygen from getting to the brain and other organs during sleep, and is connected to numerous other health ailments. Many patients with sleep apnea use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that involves a face or nasal mask during sleep to keep their airway open. Although effective in treating sleep apnea, CPAP machines often interfere with patient comfort and sleep quality.

As a dental professional emphasizing in sleep medicine, Dr. Chenet has extensive experience with providing patients with CPAP alternatives to treat their sleep apnea. These alternatives are in the form of an oral appliance that is specifically designed for the patient to keep their airway open while sleeping. These appliances are much less obtrusive than conventional CPAP machines and have very favorable results in helping patients overcome their sleep apnea issues.

About Dr. Nicole Chenet
Dr. Chenet is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, a certification that only 200 dentists nationwide have earned. She also holds an Advanced TAP certification and is one of the most experienced dental sleep specialists in the Pittsburg, PA area. Many other dentists in the local area refer patients suffering with sleep conditions to Dr. Chenet for treatment due to her advanced education and experience in the field.

For more information about Dr. Nicole Chenet and the services she provides at the Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh, please visit www.sadcpgh.com.

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Dr. Nicole Chenet, DDS, treats multiple forms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea at the Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/24/2014 -- Dr. Nicole Chenet, DDS, of the Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh, offers a variety of dental-based treatments for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Dr. Chenet's practice specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of sleep apnea symptoms and disorders, helping patients achieve a safer, sounder and healthier sleep schedule by minimizing traumatic apnea effects. OSA sufferers will experience a variety of symptoms while sleeping that they may not realize are occurring if a partner or doctor is not there to survey their sleeping habits and report them. Diagnosis of OSA begins with a consultation that includes both a discussion of the patient's sleep history and a physical exam. This initial screening will help determine if a more detailed assessment is prudent. Dr. Chenet may decide to conduct an overnight sleep study, or polysomnogram, which will be done at a sleep center. A polysomnogram records brainwaves, pulse and respiratory behavior, air movement, eye movement and blood oxygen levels throughout a full night. More assays, like the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), may be administered to help determine the extent of daytime sleepiness and identify any other sleep disorders that may also be present. Sleep apnea, though easily diagnosed, is a severe condition that is connected with various other critical ailments and must be treated as swiftly as possible.

An apnea event is defined as a full cessation of breathing for 10 or more seconds. A person can be diagnosed as having sleep apnea if he or she experiences 30 or more episodes of apnea over the course of a 7 hour sleep period. Hypopnea occurs when an obstruction arises somewhere in a patient's respiratory airflow, causing decreased oxygen intake and insufficient oxygen levels in the blood, also called oxygen desaturation. Some patients will be diagnosed with Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), a condition more serious than benign snoring but less so than true OSA. Those with UARS may experience many OSA symptoms but remit insufficient evidence during testing to warrant a full OSA diagnosis and treatment.

About Dr. Chenet
Dr. Chenet identifies the severity of a patient's condition by looking at their percentage of oxygen desaturation combined with the frequency of complete or partial ventilation stoppages. Mild OSA is the result of 5-20 stoppages per hour. Those experiencing between 20 and 40 events per hour have moderate OSA. Severe OSA sufferers experience 40 or more stoppage events per hour. This basic formula leads to more specific diagnoses when combined with information on lowest oxygen levels noted and length of apnea episodes during the sleep test. Factors that lead to increased likelihood of OSA diagnosis include being overweight, nasal congestion or obstruction including sinus problems or allergies, enlarged tonsils or adenoids that crowd the throat, a larger tongue or smaller jaw, family medical history conditions, alcohol consumption, TMJ and jaw pain, bruxism, lung disease, atrial fibrillation, heart disease, scoliosis or muscular deficiency, sedatives and medication, hypothyroidism or other endocrine (hormonal) disorders, aging, malformed teeth, jaw or palate, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), menopause, Progesterone or Estrogen deficiencies and smoking.

To learn more about how Dr. Chenet treats and diagnoses OSA, visit the Sleep Apnea Dental Center of Pittsburgh online at www.sadcpgh.com

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