It’s one of those topics few like to discuss!
Snoring can make people’s lives a misery. It’s a well-known fact.
But help could be at hand with our expertise and knowledge here at our Glasgow dental clinic.
We work with a great product range called Somnowell.
There’s more information here in our snoring section which gives you an insight to the treatment we can offer.
We work with Somnowell products invented by Dr Simon Ash.
Dr Ash began specialising in sleep related breathing disorders 15 years ago, after being encouraged to get involved in the area by Professor Michael Roberts.
Dr Ash quickly began working to try to overcome the problems with the many different plastic mandibular advancement devices that he tried. Notably the bulkiness leading to low patient compliance,
and the fact that the plastic devices were short term answers for long term problems. Typically patients suffering from problematic snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea tend to get worse as they get older. Dr Ash drew up a list of ideals for mandibular advancement devices and has been working to try to achieve them all.
Dr Ash’s first breakthrough came when he invented the predecessor to the Somnowell, it was a mandibular advancement device with a chrome cobalt framework and an acrylic twin block design. He published two peer-reviewed papers on this first device.
Dr Ash then invented the Somnowell for which a number of patents are currently applied for. The Somnowell frameworks are made entirely from chrome cobalt (nickel and beryllium free), attached by Herbst stainless steel piston rods. The Somnowell is a huge leap forward in mandibular advancement design. It is the Rolls Royce of mandibular advancement appliances, being extremely comfortable, discreet, and long lasting.
Somnowell.com gives an insight to how this treatment works…
The Somnowell gently holds the lower jaw forward and maintains an open airway whilst the patient sleeps. It has a titratable Herbst device on the left and right hand side of the chrome cobalt framework. The Herbst device provides a fixed linkage between the maxillary and mandibular chrome cobalt frameworks. This can be adjusted for maximum patient comfort and effectiveness.
Typically when a snorer sleeps, the muscles around the throat relax, and the jaw and tongue drop backwards. This causes the airway to narrow. The lungs need the same amount of air, so the air has to travel faster through the narrower airway. This increased velocity causes the soft tissues to vibrate, resulting in the snoring sound.
Almost every sufferer of obstructive sleep apnoea is also a heavy snorer. Being a heavy snorer and overweight is highly predictive of obstructive sleep apnoea risk. In obstructive sleep apnoea the narrowed airway collapses, often due to fatty tissue around the throat. The person stops breathing and has an apnoea.
The oxygen levels drop, the blood pressure rises, and eventually the person’s emergency system gets them breathing again with a gasp or a choking sound.
Mandibular advancement devices can offer a well-proven mechanical solution for these mechanical problems. There is a significant amount of research from around the world that demonstrates the effectiveness of mandibular advancement devices in treating problematic snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea. The issue is in how this technology is applied.
Thanks to the people at Somnowell here are some details on the success of the treatment….
Dr Ash follows up his patients using a standard follow up questionnaire.
Analyses of the completed follow up questionnaires reveals the following successes as reported by Dr Ash’s patients:
93% report successful treatment.
A further 1.4% report a partial success.
A typical example would be that the sleep apnoea is resolved 100%, and the snoring 75%.
83% report improved quality sleep.
51% report improved energy levels.
40% report improved concentration.
Should you wish any more information on how we can help sleep-related problems such as snoring, please contact the team on 0141 339 7579.
