ACP News
May 22, 2012
Sleep Apnea Story Presents Media Opportunity
This week, national news outlets including CNN, USA Today, the New York Times, CBS News, featured a recent study reporting that sleep apnea causes lowered oxygenation levels creating an environment where cancer cells can thrive. Prosthodontists Dr. Mark Connelly in Houston, Texas, and Dr. Paul McLornan, San Antonio, Texas, noted that medical doctors interviewed recommended surgery and Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) as the two main ways to combat sleep apnea, without mentioning a common, non-surgical solution that prosthodontists use today to treat the condition, namely Oral Appliance Therapy. Members are encouraged to comment on these articles, identify themselves as prosthodontists and describe how they work to help patients with this disorder. The ACP PR Team is reaching out to producers at CNN, CBS, and Fox to advise them of the alternate solution.
Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) is still considered the "gold standard "treatment by many physicians but with reported compliance rates as low as 30%, patients must be educated about the proven, alternative therapies. The Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidelines recommend that patients with mild or moderate sleep apnea should be given a choice between being prescribed a CPAP machine or an oral appliance advises Dr. McLornan.
Prosthodontists have advanced dental training specifically for oral health conditions, including sleep apnea, and specialize in fitting and finding the correct position to treat mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea without surgery or CPAP. Prosthodontists can also provide a solution for severe sleep apnea patients who don’t like to wear a mask to bed every night, which is what CPAP entails.
Contact Carolyn Barth , Media Relations Manager for more information.
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