He sleeps SOUNDLY and COMFORTABLY now!
When your wife threatens to smother you to stop your heavy snoring, it’s time to look into serious solutions!
All joking aside, when his physician recommended a sleep study for John’s heavy snoring, Sleep Apnea was diagnosed. This explained his daily fatigue, urges to nap, and feeling of not being alert. “I woke up every day feeling tired,” he explained.
Sleep Apnea is a serious problem that affects millions of Americans and is coming to light as one of the most under-diagnosed, life threatening medical disorders in our society. It is statistically more dangerous than drunk driving and has been associated with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, weight gain, depression and stroke.
The Greek word “apnea” means without breath. Those who suffer with Sleep Apnea endure a nightly pattern where they stop breathing for up to a minute, then wake up gasping for air. This can occur for a hundred or more times a night.
To help John (not his real name) overcome his problem and receive steady oxygen levels throughout the night, a CPAP machine was recommended by his physician. A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device is a mask that fits over the face and forces oxygen into the airway under pressure.
Although it serves its purpose, the CPAP almost seems medieval. Not only is it very encumbering, it limits movement during sleep and can make it difficult to sleep. For these reasons, it is estimated that nearly 50% of CPAP users drop out of treatment.
Regardless, John tried the CPAP and struggled to become used to it. On top of that, he experienced leaks in the mask and needed to go back for several adjustments. Finally, he admitted, “I knew this was never going to work. I wasn’t getting much more sleep than I was before because of the awkwardness of the CPAP. I’d often end up taking it off during the night in frustration.”
Because one’s tongue, tonsils and soft palate are directly related to night-time breathing, involvement of specially trained dentists has become beneficial to treating many Sleep Apnea sufferers.
With the results of John’s sleep study and interaction with his physician, Dr. Barbat was able to develop alternative treatment, one that was comfortable, convenient and effective at the same time.
Dr. Barbat began by creating a custommade mouthpiece for John. This appliance postures his lower jaw forward, opening his airway to allow him to breathe freely all night. It has now taken the place of his cumbersome CPAP machine.
The appliance has an extremely smooth finish and is a comfortable fit for John’s mouth. And, while John is very pleased to find an alternative to the CPAP, his wife is thrilled! She says she no longer has to sleep beside a “sea serpent” as she referred to him in his CPAP mask!
Even though John was the only one in treatment, his wife also reaped the rewards of his successful results. Now, they both get a more restful night’s sleep! The snoring has ceased and his health is in a better state without strain caused by poor sleep or low oxygen levels. “By no means was this an inexpensive alternative. But the CPAP was expensive and I couldn’t tolerate it, so I feel this was worth it,” he states. He no longer feels groggy throughout the day or feels the need to nap. His sleep is now deeper and far more restful than he remembers it ever being.
If you (or someone you know) suffer with Sleep Apnea, or have been told you are a heavy snorer (which is a precursor to Sleep Apnea), Dr. Barbat recommends you seek treatment before more serious health problems develop.
Our Patients Rate Us!
A nationally-recognized firm recently conducted a survey of a percentage of Dr. Barbat’s patients, chosen at random, to rank patient satisfaction on specific areas in the practice. Both new and existing patients were included in the survey. While we always strive for 100% overall patient satisfaction, we’re pleased to share that patients rated overall satisfaction 98%. Below is a breakdown of other ratings:
Ease in scheduling convenient appointment times? – 97.4%
Promptly welcomed upon arrival in a friendly manner? – 98.7%
Was the Dentist/Hygienist sensitive to your needs? – 97.1%
Was your wait time reasonable? – 98.1%
Was your treatment explained to your satisfaction? – 96.4%
Cleanliness of facility? – 99.8%
Satisfactory completion of treatment? – 95.7%
And, when it comes to those “painless injections” that patients claim Dr. Barbat is so well known for, 99.2% say they agree!
Plus, 100% of survey respondents also stated they would continue as patients and nearly 97% would refer others to the practice.
To those who participated, thank you so much for your time and comments. We are always working to improve and appreciate your input.
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