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The funniest comedians are those who point out the obvious. While Burgess’s quote brings a smile to us all, it is a very sad commentary on life in this 21st century. If you Google “snoring room,” you can see how this is becoming a desirable feature in upscale homes. Looking hard enough, you can find construction ideas on how to sound-proof your own snoring room.

Even if you do not realize you are snoring, your spouse, other family members, or your coworkers, are most likely very aware. They also suffer from your noisy snoring, or they see the signs of a tired body attempting to just get through the day. Recently, a condition known as “secondary snoring” has been shown to cost the bed partner of a snorer an average of 1.5 hours of sleep each night. Snoring, in fact, has also been shown to be a leading cause of divorce.

Snoring occurs when the airway becomes partially blocked or occluded. An example would be a tongue that falls back as we drift off into deeper sleep. As the air attempts to pass between the soft tissues lining this smaller passageway, the tissues vibrate, creating the snoring noise.

In many situations, this compromise is minor and the body continues to get adequate amounts of oxygen causing little or no harm. However, snoring is more than just an inconvenience for your bed-partner; it can be a major sign for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The word “apnea” comes from Greek literally meaning “without breath.” In the Sleep Apnea patient, the soft tissues totally block the airway, cutting off the supply of oxygen.

In a given night, these apneic events (when a patient stops breathing) can occur anywhere from 30 – 50 times, and in some people as many as 60 – 100 times, per hour! An “Apneic Event” is defined as a time of at least 10 seconds that the patient stops breathing. In sleep studies, the average event is 20 seconds in duration with some as long as a minute or more! The Sleep Apneic awakes exhausted each morning because he has been fighting for oxygen all night long.

Here is a simple exercise to feel what a Sleep Apneic goes through each night; the only equipment you need is a watch with a second hand. Since an “event” is 10 seconds minimum, and the average event is of 20 second’s duration, we will split the difference and use 15 seconds. Remember, the Apneic exhales okay, but the collapsed airway keeps him from inhaling. Take a good, deep breath, and exhale completely. Do not inhale, but, rather, hold your breath as though you cannot inhale for 15 seconds. Now you know a little of what the apneic goes through each night – ALL NIGHT LONG.

Common side effects of sleep apnea patients are
Irritability
Impotence
Heart Attacks
Irregular Heart Beats
High Blood Pressure
Stroke
Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Heartburn
Dry Mouth
Morning Headache
Impaired Concentration
Decreased Libido
Depression
And, the obvious, Chronic Sleepiness

Thomas Dekker was correct when he said, “Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.”

Chronic Sleepiness can also cause learning or memory disabilities, as well as periods of nodding off while on the phone or at work. Obviously, sleep apnea patients are at a much greater risk of having auto accidents. And, who wants an airline pilot with sleep apnea?

The “Gold Standard” treatment for sleep apnea is CPAP – Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. The positive pressure in the airway keeps the tissues from collapsing, and allows the patient to breathe comfortably all night.

However, compliance is another issue. Many patients cannot wear the “head-gear” required for CPAP: they find it confining, and they feel claustrophobic. Even the patients diagnosed as “Severe Sleep Apneics” are only about 70% compliant – 30% put the CPAP machine in the back of the closet and never use it. Compliance for the mild to moderate sleep apneics is almost non-existent.

There is an alternative available for mild to moderate apneics. We can also use this alternative treatment for severe patients who will not wear their CPAP. These appliances have been shown to open airways better than opening the mouth wider (which is what apneics do at night) or even tipping the head back (like the head-tilt for CPR).

Here is a simple test to determine if you may have a sleep disorder:

• Have you been told that you snore?

• Have you been told that you stop breathing when I sleep, although you may have no recollection of this?

• Are you always sleepy during the day, even if you sleep throughout the night, and get 7 or more hours of sleep?

• Do you have high blood pressure?

• Have you been told that you sleep restlessly? Are you always tossing and turning while asleep?

• Do you frequently awaken with headaches in the morning

• Do you tend to fall asleep during inappropriate situations

• Have you and/or others noticed a recent change in your personality?

• Are you overweight?

• Is the diameter of your neck is at least 17 inches (15 for a woman). It is strictly neck size – it doesn’t matter if the neck diameter is due to muscle or fatty tissue.

Any one of these could indicate a sleep breathing disorder. The more yes answers you have, the more likely it is that a problem exists.

If you or a family member or a friend has any of these problems, or if you suspect a sleep breathing disorder, we are happy to discuss it and treatment options with you.

Dr. Hair is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.

While bad breath can be funny in the movies, it is no laughing matter in real life. Patients commonly ask us, “What causes bad breath?”

Many times it is not the “Shreks” who ask – the question comes from a long suffering spouse or family member. There are many causes of bad breath (which we call “halitosis”) – the good news is, that in most cases, diagnosing and treating bad breath is something that can easily be done.

Here are some of the reasons people may be slowly backing up or offering Tic Tacs during conversations:

• Foods Containing Pungent Oils

Yes – garlic and onions are very healthy, but they also contain oils which may cause an unhealthy reaction to those around you. The owner of a hair salon once told me she would only allow her operators to eat garlic when they had a day off. She said the garlic odor actually oozed from the pores in the skin. Other folks say the odor comes you’re your lungs for as long as 3 days.

• Routine Illnesses
Colds, sore throats, coughs and sinus infections can all cause foul breath until the illness is taken care of. If you are infectious, you shouldn’t be that close to someone anyway. If a sinus infection, sore throat, cough or cold doesn’t clear up in a few days to a week, you should probably see your physician to make sure things aren’t of a more serious nature.

• Dry Mouth
Have you ever wondered why you have morning breath? A dry mouth lets dead cells accumulate on your gums, tongue and cheeks. Your mouth is dry due to lowered salivary activity at night; however, it shouldn’t last all day. Those who snore, mouth-breath, or take certain medications are prone to a dry mouth.

• Smoking
Smoking is another activity that dries out your mouth (see above) and also, tobacco just plain stinks. It has been said that kissing a smoker is like licking an ash tray.

• Chronic Diseases or Conditions
Many serious diseases such as kidney failure, lung infections, cancer, diabetes, GERD, bulimia, anorexia, and others can cause very specific types of halitosis. These are rare, but if anything along these lines is suspected, an appropriate referral is in order.

• Poor Dental Hygiene and Gum Disease
We saved our favorite for last. This is not our favorite because we like people to have poor dental hygiene and gum disease, but because these are very common causes of bad breath that we can usually treat quite easily in the dental office. But please don’t wait too long! Gum disease, which usually starts with poor brushing and flossing habits,can do much more than make your mouth stinky.

In just a short period of time, gum disease can advance and eat away at the gums and bone which hold your teeth in place. The result? You have probably heard me say the end result is like fence posts in shallow holes – it isn’t long before the fence posts come out of the ground (teeth fall out) because there is no support. Catching gum disease early is great as treatment is typically conservative. Wait too long and it gets much more difficult and extensive.

We are very excited about a new treatment in our office – Laser Gum Treatment. For many of our patients who thought surgery was their only option, we have discovered a non-surgical approach that can actually allow re-attachment of gums and re-growth of bone around teeth.

Bad breath is not normal! Seeing your dentist on a routine basis is your best bet for making sure your teeth and gums stay healthy, your smile stays bright, and your breath doesn’t cause folks to offer you Tic Tacs.

If you have any questions about this or any other topic concerning you or someone you care about, please feel free to give us a call at 770-949-1005. Feel free to forward this to any of your friends whom you feel may benefit from this information.

My patient was a farmer; he spent all day on a tractor. This was not like Daddy’s tractor that I used to cut the fields around the house. Billy Bob’s (not his real name) tractor was one of those huge tractors used by a commercial farming business. He had a large, air-conditioned cab complete with CD and DVD players. He didn’t have to leave it all day, and he had plenty of room for a cooler containing snacks and drinks.

Billy Bob’s favorite drink was Coca Cola; he always had a case iced down to sip on all day long. Billy Bob had a funny habit when drinking Cokes: he swished every sip between his teeth before swallowing because he liked the way it bubbled in his mouth. Now we had the answer.

Probably every elementary school’s science fair has a project where someone has soaked chicken bones in Coca Cola. The bones were decalcified enough so they could be tied into a knot. The acid nature of the Coca Cola dissolved the bone!

Before you think I am condemning Coca Cola, let me say ALL carbonated drinks (sodas) are acidic, and diet sodas are even more acidic. There is plenty of blame to go around.

Am I saying you should never drink carbonated beverages? Of course not. You just need to be aware of what you are putting into your body. Just like we tell you to have sugary snacks and deserts with your meal and not all day long, you may want to limit the number of carbonated drinks each day. And you certainly do not want to swish each and every sip of these acids between your teeth.

At Boulevard Smiles by Dr. Joe Hair, we always welcome your comments and suggestions. Please call us at 770-949-1005 with any comments or suggestions or to schedule an appointment.

The villain? Many believe it is bottled water. While most of us know that drinking soft drinks and their cousins, the “sports drink,” can lead to dental disaster due to their hidden sugars and even an acid pH, we often forget that unlike tap water, bottled water does not contain fluoride.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that bottled water has become so common in the diets of children and adults that many are not getting the proper amount of fluoride. According to the International Bottled Water Association, the average American now drinks thirty gallons per year. Because they believe it is healthier, many parents are not only having their kids drink bottled water, they are preparing baby formula with it too!

So what to do? We suggest you drink tap water whenever possible even though the waiter at your favorite restaurant may turn up his nose at your choice. Not only will you save money, you will be doing your teeth a big favor! Remember to brush often with fluoride toothpaste and floss every day.

If you have water that is not fluoridated (such as well water) or for some other reason you are not getting the fluoride you need, there are options for you. Many times we recommend special over the counter rinses or even prescription fluoride treatment so you can keep your teeth cavity free!

Please discuss any concerns you may have with Dr. Hair, Kimberly, or Cheryl.

At Boulevard Smiles by Dr. Joe Hair, we are here for you! Please make sure you are getting the most up-to-date information on your health and other great stuff as well by becoming a Facebook fan and following us on Twitter.

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We always welcome your comments and suggestions. Please call us at 770-949-1005 with any comments or suggestions or to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Joe Hair

At Boulevard Smiles, Dr. Joe Hair recommends a Water Pik®  for his patients who don’t floss, as well as for some who do.  This link is for the specific Water Pik® : http://tinyurl.com/y9mydq8

This is the WP100 model.  There is usually a coupon on this page for $5.00 off the cost.

Boulevard Smiles Water Pik®  Recipe:

Fill the reservoir about two-thirds to three-fourths full of warm water.  Add a capful of your favorite flavor of Listerine®. Next, and this is the strange part, add ½ to 1 pump of Dial® Antibacterial Hand Soap.  The soap is a surfactant; it wets the teeth better and gets under the plaque to wash it off. The antibacterial/antimicrobial qualities of Listerine® and the Dial® soap help to kill the bacteria which cause dental problems.

Once you have added the Listerine® and soap to the Water Pik® , you will want to mix it together.  Place the Water Pik®  tip down into the reservoir, and turn on the unit.  Turn the intensity setting all the way up to 10.  After the solution is mixed, turn the intensity back down to 1, and turn the unit off.  This intensity knob is why Dr. Hair likes this specific model.  Everyone starts off at a setting of 1 and gradually moves up to 10 as the gums get healthier.

Place the Water Pik®  tip in your mouth before turning on the unit, or you will have water everywhere.  Aim the tip directly at the tooth along the gum line, perpendicular to the teeth, not up into the gums.  Start at the back tooth and trace along the gum line saying, “along the gum and in between… along the gum and in between.”  You may not move any faster than you can say it. Start at the back and go to the front until you have traced all of the teeth top and bottom, inside and out.

You just have to get over the soap taste.  Our patients tell us how much they love using this technique, and they say the soap-taste isn’t really an issue.  As a matter of fact, the soap comes in different smells that can alter the taste, making it better tasting.  One of my patients would not ever floss; however, his wife says he never misses a day using the Water Pik® , and we can tell it by looking at the health of his gums.

Using the Water Pik®  does not replace flossing, but, as my father used to say, it is way out in front of whatever is in 2^nd place.

Working in cooperation with Wellstar Douglas Hospital in Douglasville, Georgia, Dr. Hair performs all general procedures including cosmetic, implant, and restorative dentistry in an operating room equipped especially for dentistry. A trained anesthesiologist and surgical nurses work with Dr. Hair to provide these procedures in the safest of all environments.

Patients who cannot be successfully treated in a dental office can often be treated in a hospital setting on an outpatient basis.  Our hospital patients fall into five major categories:

Young children

Those who are not manageable in an office setting such as the physically and/or mentally disabled

The sick and elderly or others with high risk medical problems

Patients with dental phobias

Busy Adults who desire the convenience of a single visit

Young Children – patient management for young children is necessary for good dental treatment. It is nearly impossible for the dentist to provide quality dentistry on a moving, crying child. Dr Hair believes the risk in sedating a child in the office is unacceptable; therefore, we only treat children with management issues in the hospital where your child is under the care of an Anesthesiologist.

Physical Disabilities – physically disabled patients often have special needs. For many reasons, treatment in the hospital with general anesthesia may be indicated. This group of patients must be evaluated on an individual basis.

Mental Disabilities – Mentally disabled patients often cannot be managed in a traditional dental office setting. The use of general anesthesia is an effective way to manage this group of patients.

Medical High Risk Patients – The range of patients and medical conditions are too many to discuss individually. Many times dental treatment in the hospital under the watchful eye of a trained Anesthesiologist provides the safest avenue of treatment for this group of patients.

Dental Phobia – Sometimes patients have a condition called Dental Phobia. For patients with this debilitating disorder, dental treatment with general anesthesia is the only way to provide treatment and alleviate the patients’ fear of dentistry.

Busy Adults – Adults who prefer to have the most treatment provided in the fewest possible number of appointments.

While it is not necessary for all patients, general anesthesia under the watchful eye of a physician with additional training as an anesthesiologist is the safest way to treat many of these patients.  Mothers tell us that it was the easiest appointment the child has ever had, and the child seems to recover more quickly.

If you or a member of your family needs dental treatment in the hospital please call the office for information. We like to see the patient in the office for an evaluation so we can develop the outline of a treatment plan, and determine the amount of operating room time needed to complete the treatment.  Treatment is usually completed in one visit.

Please call for an appointment.

770-949-1005