Why does a dentist treat sleep apnea?

Video Overview

First off, we are in your mouth. We can see the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea; a curled tongue, large tonsils, just literally the size of your tongue. But a dentist does not do the diagnosing, I work with a sleep disorder center, in other words, a physician who is board-certified in sleep medicine, to do the actual diagnosing. They must do an in-office sleep study test or Polysommnography (PSG). You will sleep at the center and they will evaluate how many times you stop snoring, how loud was it, how long was it, what was your heartbeat, and how was your breathing like. And then, as a team, we work together to determine the best kind of treatment to manage your obstructive sleep apnea.