Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common sleeping disorder that occurs when a person experiences breathing interruptions while sleeping because of very low oxygen levels. Providing a way to treat this disorder is one of the procedures the doctors of Central Maryland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery PA specializes in. They provide consultations to patients who visit them and perform a thorough review of their medical history. They do this by interviewing some of the patient’s family members and asking them about the patient’ sleeping habits. Aside from an extensive physical exam, the doctors of the medical facility also conduct a 3-dimensional CBCT scan to assess the airway of a person supposed to have the sleeping disorder. Once the apnea is justified, the doctors of this medical facility immediately arrange the performance of a sleep study which will be specific to the person who has undergone the tests.
Upon the conclusion of this sleep study, often called polysomnography, the doctors are able to determine the presence or absence of the disorder to the patient, as well as its severity. Central Maryland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery PA diagnoses and treats sleep apnea through its state-of-the-art clinical amenities. In the sleep study, their doctors incorporate a breathing machine trial called CPAP to monitor the person’s disturbances in sleeping and the oxygen levels in his blood while asleep. The CPAP mask provides pressurized air to limit the airway obstruction for the person who is being subjected to the test.
Not all medical institutions house this amenity, which is proven to be very effective in treating sleep apnea. Aside from the CPAP, the Central Maryland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery PA also makes use of dental and oral appliances that function as mouth guards to fit inside the mouth. These appliances are normally effective in treating mild to moderate sleep apnea. For worse cases, however, the doctors of the medical facility work closely with their patients as they tailor a surgical procedure or procedures that will best address their condition.
Among the procedures the doctors of Central Maryland Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery PA pride themselves on is the Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA), which involves the repositioning of the upper jaw, the lower jaw, and the chin forward to eventually open the airway. Doctors apply this procedure to move the tongue forward while increasing the size of the patient’s posterior airway. Known as the permanent cure to severe sleep apnea, studies have shown that the success rates of this procedure in the Central Maryland medical facility are always higher than 90%.

January 21st, 2012
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