Sleep Apnea

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Sleep Apnea & Airway Health Solutions

Hello, this is Dr. James Segulyev and I provide Sleep Apnea Therapy & Night Guards at my Dallas dental practice. Over the years, I have personally witnessed the discomfort and distress that sleep apnea can cause in my patients. Often, these patients suffer from an array of troubling symptoms including chronic headaches, insomnia, fatigue, a dry mouth or throat, and difficulty concentrating during the day. Sleep Apnea can even increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and abnormal heartbeats. That’s why I’d like to offer my help to all those affected by Sleep Apnea living in Dallas and the surrounding area.

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Sleep Apnea is a common, but serious sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing patterns become irregular when they sleep. Breathing either becomes very shallow or stops completely over and over again during sleep. These pauses can be brief, lasting seconds, or extended, lasting for minutes at a time. Treatment for this condition usually involves some form of Sleep Apnea Therapy.

You may be wondering if a dentist can treat sleep apnea. The answer is yes. I have the training, skills, and experience to treat mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea for my patients. I completed the curriculum of study at The Spear Institute for Advanced Dental Education and am also a graduate of The Stewart Center for Minimally Invasive Dental Medicine, formerly The Texas Center for Occlusal Studies and Minimally Invasive Dentistry.

Treating Sleep Apnea with Health-Centered Dentistry

My approach to treating Sleep Apnea is health-centered, taking the whole person into consideration. I rely on Minimally Invasive Dentistry and biocompatible treatment methods that uphold my holistic wellness standards. One way that I do this is by providing a holistic alternative to CPAP therapy through the Vivos Method.

CPAP therapy is commonly used to treat patients who suffer from severe (OSA) Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The acronym CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. CPAP machines use steady air pressure to help individuals with OSA breathe better while they sleep. The problem with this method is that many people simply cannot tolerate it due to the continual discomfort and inconvenience it can cause.

The particular technology that I use to treat patients who suffer from Sleep Apnea is called the Vivos System. Vivos oral appliance therapy provides individuals who suffer from mild to moderate Sleep Apnea with a comfortable, all-natural alternative to CPAP therapy.

This appliance is customized specifically for you and based on your individual needs. Its job is to promote the proper positioning of the tongue and tissues around the throat while you sleep. Treatment usually lasts for about 12-24 months, though many patients experience relief from their symptoms in just a few days. With this method, approximately 97% of patients achieve their desired outcome upon the completion of treatment.

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

The first step to treating sleep apnea is accurately and thoroughly diagnosing your condition. Typically, this is done with a visit to my office in Dallas. During your appointment, I will ask you about your symptoms and sleep history. I will perform a Sleep Assessment using VivoScore. This is part of the Vivos Method. I may also ask you to complete a sleep test called a polysomnogram. Then, I will create an individualized treatment plan based on my findings with the assistance of the Vivos algorithm.

Sleep Apnea Treatment: The Vivos System

The Vivos Method is a multidisciplinary protocol and holistic approach that relies on advanced, minimally invasive oral technology. It addresses the root cause of oral health conditions like Sleep Apnea by reconfiguring the upper and lower jaws and airway. At my practice, I use this method to treat Sleep Apnea, snoring, dentofacial abnormalities, and sleep-related breathing disorders.

I believe so strongly in this approach that I have taken all of the necessary steps to become a certified Vivos System provider. I have found the Vivos Method incredibly effective for treating Sleep Apnea, improving airway function, and addressing concerns related to the dental arch, jaw placement, and tongue position. With this treatment method, many of my patients are able to experience a significant improvement in their sleep quality and overall quality of life without having to resort to CPAP therapy or other interventions.

Sleep Apnea Treatment Process

Treating for Sleep Apnea using the Vivos Method usually lasts about 12 to 24 months, though every patient is unique.

Part of your treatment may involve wearing a Vivos oral appliance in the evening hours and overnight for a limited period of time. This appliance will be custom made just for you in our partner lab using physical or digital impressions and models of your teeth. When your appliance is ready, I will schedule you for a fitting and make any necessary adjustments during your appointment. My team and I will also provide you with thorough instructions for using your appliance as well as care and cleaning.

Over the following months, I will carefully monitor and document your progress. You’ll come into my office on a regular basis so we can discuss your symptoms and make any necessary adjustments to your treatment plan.

Benefits of Oral Appliance Therapy

Another reason that I use oral appliance therapy for treating sleep apnea is that it has tremendous benefits for the patient. Some of these benefits include:

  • Minimally invasive: Vivos oral appliances offer a non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical treatment option
  • Comfortable: Patients who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy due to discomfort may find oral appliance therapy to be a more agreeable alternative
  • Short-term: CPAP therapy is often prescribed as a lifelong treatment whereas oral sleep appliance therapy lasts only about 12 to 24 months on average
  • Highly effective: Oral appliance therapy is considered to be a highly effective method for treating sleep apnea. With the Vivos Method, over 80% of patients experience a reduction in OSA severity.
  • May reduce cost: Oral appliance therapy may eliminate the need for other lifelong OSA treatments like CPAP, surgery, and implant neurostimulation. This may make treatment for sleep apnea less costly for a patient in the long-run.
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Night Guard For Sleep Apnea

Some problems with breathing and snoring at night can be relieved with a night guard. A night guard is an appliance that keeps your teeth and jaws in an ideal position. Some people will use the term “occlusal guard” when discussing sleep apnea, but night guard is the preferred wording.

 The benefits of using a Night Guard to treat sleep apnea:

  • Improved breathing
  • Prevention of tooth grinding
  • Prevention of jaw clenching
  • Decrease in pain and tension in the face and jaw
  • Alleviation of headaches and migraines

If your dental system is not positioned for optimal chewing and speaking, you may experience breathing problems. These breathing problems may cause snoring and be symptomatic of sleep apnea. We can make adjustments to your dental system that can improve your nighttime breathing.

Treating Sleep Disordered Breathing in Children

Dr. James Segulyev, DDS in Dallas is qualified to treat children’s sleep disordered breathing issues and is an active member of the Airway Health Solutions preferred member dentist directory. We use natural and non-surgical mechanisms to restructure your child’s airway, promote correct development of the dental arches, and reverse the symptoms experienced by Sleep Breathing Disorders.

We offer oral appliance therapy that promotes natural growth and development, which addresses the root causes of SDB. Research has shown that SDB-induced oxygen deprivation is a major contributing factor to several childhood health disorders.

Our goal is to promote the proper growth and development of the jaw and airway to optimize airflow and promote proper nasal breathing while straightening your child’s teeth. As these areas develop many of the symptoms of Sleep Disordered Breathing disappear. When kids can breathe properly, they can begin to learn, grow, and blossom into their true genetic potential…just as nature intended.

An estimated nine out of ten children suffer from one or more symptoms related to Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB). – JAOS, Bergersen / Stevens

These children experience a wide range of debilitating SDB- related health disorders, such as:
• ADD/ADHD
• Lower IQ
• Chronic Allergies
• Aggressive Behavior
• Mouth Breathing
• Swollen Adenoids & Tonsils
• Daytime Drowsiness
• Crooked Teeth
• Restless Sleep
• Bedwetting
• Nightmares
• Dark Circles Under the Eyes
• Snoring
• Irritability
• Frequent Headaches
• Arrested Growth
• Low grades in Math, Science & Spelling

Many kids with the above health disorders are being “treated” with powerful drugs without evaluating a possible root cause. Dr. Segulyev can evaluate your child at our Dallas office and indicate if there is a breathing and sleeping issue.

Sleep Apnea & Airway Health Solutions Patient Education & Resources

Below you will find several resources about Sleep Apnea in both Adults and Children, from videos to podcasts, to articles on various topics about Sleep Disorders.

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Sleep Disorder Breathing & ADD/ADHD in Children

In this video, Dr. Ben Miraglia, DDS talks about the connection between Sleep Disorder Breathing and ADD/ADHD in children.

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Sleep Disorder Breathing & Bed Wetting in Children

In this video, Dr. Ben Miraglia, DDS talks about connecting the dots between Sleep Disorder Breathing & Bed Wetting in children.

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What is Sleep Disordered Breathing?

In this video episode of Science Talk, Karen Bonuck, Ph.D., Professor of Family Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, talks about Sleep Disordered Breathing in Children.

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Finding Connor Deegan

In this 5 1/2 minute video, you'll hear the story of ``Finding Connor Deegan`` and everything his parents went through to discover that Connor was struggling to breathe while sleeping.

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Babi Eli Snoring

In this 51 second video, watch how Eli's Mother pulls her baby boy's jaw forward while he is asleep and snoring - that opens the airway and allows him to breathe and get oxygen to the brain and the rest of the body.

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Right To Grow

Right to Grow is an organization dedicated to ending the practice of orthodontic growth stunting. Click Learn More below to visit their website and watch the video on the ``Story of Headgear.``

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Dr. Steven Y. Park Podcast

Subscribe to Dr. Park's Podcast ``Getting the sleep you need for the life you want.`` Dr. Steven Y. Park is an author and surgeon who helps people who are always sick or tired to once again reclaim their health and energy.

Best Dentist In Dallas

If you’re looking for a holistic and biologic Dentist in Dallas, we would love the opportunity to meet you. Call us today at (972) 661-3666 to schedule your appointment. We are passionate about helping people live a better life and have a more fulfilling future through optimal dental health.