Laurence I. Barsh, DMD is the Founder of Snoring Isn’t Sexy, LLC and has been involved with sleep medicine since 1992. He now devotes full time to educating the public about dentistry’s role and responsibility in the recognition and management of snoring and sleep apnea.
As the consumer media becomes increasingly aware of the gravity of these conditions, medical reporters and producers are turning to Dr. Barsh as the expert of record about how oral appliance therapy might help.
It has been estimated that in the United States alone 20 million men, women and children suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Millions more snore. Of these 20 million, only about 10% have been diagnosed despite the fact that the average life span of an untreated sleep apneic is years less than those without sleep apnea. Snoring and sleep apnea have been related to heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, depression and erectile dysfunction as well as vehicular accidental injury and death. The increased medical costs of those with untreated sleep apnea are estimated to be in the billions a year.
In an editorial published in Sleep and Breathing, Vol. 13, No. 1, February, 2009, Dr. Barsh made the following point “Oral appliance therapy [for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea] has been accepted as an alternative or supplement to CPAP in some instances and yet the public and many dentists and physicians remain unaware of the vital role of the dentist as part of the healthcare team for the recognition and management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.” In a recent interview, Barsh added, “Because obesity and diabetes are reaching almost epidemic proportions, it is essential that dentists and every other healthcare profession that comes in contact with the public, screen their patients for sleep apnea.”
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