Obstructive Sleep Apnea, (OSA) and snoring, for that matter, are widely misunderstood and underdiagnosed for the majority of the population.

The untimely death of NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White has brought this potentially deadly sleep disorder to the media’s attention, and his wife is now the national spokesperson for the Dental Organization for Sleep Apnea, or DOSA.

In a recent press release from the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, new guidelines published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in the January issue of SLEEP support the use of oral appliances to treat obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.

While snoring is common and often harmless, it can also be a warning sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a serious medical condition that affects an estimated 18 million people in the United States.  Dangers related to OSA include severe daytime sleepiness, an increased risk of high blood pressure, and higher rates of stroke and heart attack.

In cooperation with local medical sleep clinics, Dr. McVicker has received extensive training in the use of new technological advances to successfully treat those people who are unable or unwilling to wear the CPAP machine with a custom fabricated oral appliance.  The results are monitored and confirmed by the referring sleep physician either by clinic or ambulatory sleep studies, both before and after the fitting of the appliance.

If you or someone you love, snore (or have been told you snore!) take the Epworth Survey on the Snoring/Sleep Apnea page of the website. Contact Dr. McVicker for an inexpensive screening appointment.  The life you save may be your own!