Drs. Esposito, Shivji & Drance
Downtown Dental Clinic
1328 Alberni St 604-669-1111
MAX Dental Clinic (Yaletown)
90 Smithe St 604-609-2020
"Thanks, the camera loves my smile!"
Joely Collins -- TV/movie actress and singer
Are you tired of suffering from chronic headaches, facial pain, or migraines? It has been discovered that most headache sufferers clench and grind their teeth at nighttime while they are sleeping. Dr. Drance was the first in Vancouver to use the elegant and small NTI device that has been successful in eliminating many people's suffering. We have been able to help about 80% of those clients who suffer from migraine headaches, which are difficult to treat, by reducing their symptoms.
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As many as ten percent of working-age men suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes them to repeatedly stop breathing for as long as ten seconds at a time, night after night. Anyone sleeping in the room with an individual who suffers from the condition may think it's just continuous, loud, irritating snoring. But obstructive sleep apnea is a health problem that can cause serious medical complications if not corrected.
The physiology behind the snore
Just about everyone has slept in the same room with someone who snores. What's going on behind all that middle-of-the-night racket?
As people fall asleep, muscles in the tongue and throat relax, and the tongue drops back into the airway, narrowing it. Air moving through that narrowed airway travels faster and causes the walls of the throat to vibrate, producing a rattling noise commonly known as snoring.
Don't ignore these symptoms
While snoring itself isn't a serious health problem, sleep apnea is. Sleep apnea is like snoring taken to the next level. It occurs when the airway is completely blocked by the soft tissues in the back of the throat. The American Dental Association likens the effect to what occurs when a thick milkshake is sucked through a narrow straw; eventually the straw collapses from the pressure.
When the airway is obstructed to such a degree, less oxygen reaches the blood and the brain. In response, the brain gives the "red alert" signal to the airway to unblock itself by tightening up. This causes the individual to gasp or snort abruptly, restoring breathing to normal.
With obstructive sleep apnea, this cycle repeats itself throughout the night, disrupting sleep and leaving the individual exhausted after a night of on-again, off-again sleep. The condition can also cause headaches, moodiness, daytime sleepiness and an inability to function properly.
The good news?
There is help available for obstructive sleep apnea. Working with your physician, your dentist can create a custom-fitted, comfortable oral appliance that keeps the airway open during sleep so you can breath normally.
You can also take steps to minimize your own snoring and incidences of apnea.
If you think you might have sleep apnea, see your physician immediately. She and your dentist can work together with you to find a comfortable, effective solution.
Initial visitSince you may have periodontal disease without experiencing any symptoms, we perform a thorough examination using X-rays and a periodontal probe. Healthy gums fit tight against the teeth and have no pockets. When the bone levels fall as a result of - more...
Extreme Makeover VancouverYou don't have to travel to Hollywood for that Extreme Makeover. Those life changing new smiles are available right here in Vancouver. Visit our before and after galleries to see for yourself - more...
Voted "Best Dentist" Westender and Georgia Straight three years in a row.
Selected as the Vancouver dentist for Cirque du Soleil.
