Rematee Sleep Positioner as a Snoring Remedy

As a frequent attendee to many great Dentistry sleep continuing education courses, I have recently started paying attention to the growing market to sleep apnea and snoring in dentistry.


Though fairly new to many dentists,the snoring and sleep apnea market is huge, and growing!  It is estimated per the Sleep Wellness Institute that about 100 million Americans Adults have some sort of Sleep Disorder.


Sleep disorders are becoming an epidemic - and fast. Sleep disorders are shortening lives - FACT. Sleep disorders are costing business BILLIONS of dollars in decreased wokers production - FACT. Sleep disorders are causing HUNDREDS of car accidents DAILY and costing Corporations MILLIONS in legal fees.


Now regarding Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and snoring, there are a few things that Dentists can do to help patients and bring more business to your practice:


1. Oral Devices: Keeps the airways open by moving the bottom jaw and tongue forward and in turn tightens the tissue of the soft palate. They can be effective for mild snore and mild OSA.

2. Sleep Positioner Therapy: Research shows 60% of snore/OSA sufferers become significantly worse when on their backs. This is because sleeping on your back further encourages your soft palate (via gravity) to close over your airways.  By wearing some type of device, like the Rematee Belt, symptoms can be significantly reduced.

To learn more about the Rematee Belt, you can find info here.  Many dentists will offer a sleep positioner device in addition to and while they are developing an oral appliance.

Also, if you think you may want to seek professional help and find out more about sleep disorders and health professionals in your area, call 1-800-SLEEPTEST or visit Sleeptest.com.

You may also purchase Rematee Belts to sell to your patients here.

Video on Rematee Testimonials from some Health Professionals:

Joint Vibration Analysis for TMJ and Myofacial Pain by Mark P Kraver DDS

See original blog post here: http://www.capedental.com/2011/joint-vibration-analysis-for-the-tmj-and-myofacial-pain/




As part of every dental exam the Cape Dental Doctors palpate the face and TMJ’s to see if there is any clicks or pops associated with opening and closing the mouth.  Occasionally, a patient will have clicks and/or pops during the examination.  Thankfully, most clicks and pops have been happening for years and are not causing any discomfort.  However, some patients will report discomfort and require a much more detailed follow-up examination.  These examinations normally take up to a hour to complete. First we record a thorough detailed history of what causes the discomfort including history of trauma, other oral surgery consultations, past history of any type of treatments and any para-functional habits such as grinding, bruxing, nail biting, chewing ice, or chewing gum.  All the muscles of mastication are palpated for tenderness, maximum mouth opening is recorded, overbite and over jet are noted along with the stress levels the patient is currently experiencing.


Thankfully, 85% of what people call TMJ problems are actually myofacial pain syndrome cause by a faulty bite.  However, to make sure the joints are not contributing to the problem each patient is tested with the Joint Vibration Analysis or JVA.  It is a sophisticated microphone that is placed on the patient like a pair of headphones.  The patient is coached to open and close very wide and quickly so the sounds of the joint can be heard by the computer.  After the patient has opened and closed several times an average is calculated for each joint and results are analyzed for disease processes such as disk displacement and derangements.  If disease is found in the joints the appropriate treatment is prescribed. If none are found then the next test moves onto the TekScan which is a movie of how you put your teeth together.

The JVA is another service provided at Cape Dental Care that few other dentists have even heard of or understand.  It provides a better understanding of our patient’s dental needs and is another example of just how far our doctors are willing to go to provide advanced dental treatment of our patients.

Tags: clicks, diagnosis, joint vibration analysis, JVA, pops, TMD, TMJ, treatment


Cape Dental Care
Dr. Mark Kraver and Dr. Phillip Kraver
http://www.capedental.com/

• Phone: 239-549-8921
• Fax: 239-542-2811
• 3001 Del Prado Blvd S
  Cape Coral, FL 33914

JVA vs. Subjective TM Joint Testing

Here is how the JVA (Joint Vibration Analysis) stacks up to Traditional TM joint Diagnostical Methods: