Breathe Better, Sleep Better, Live Better Podcast

This month, I’ve invited Stanford University’s sleep surgeon, Dr. Robson Capasso to talk to us about his institution’s philosophy on sleep apnea surgery. Here’s a short list of questions that are answered on the program:

1. What’s the success rate for sleep apnea surgery?

2. Can you wait until someone is asleep to image the site of obstruction? 

3. What is the progress in getting UARS recognized as a real condition?  How is it diagnosed and managed at Stanford?

4. How do you decide whether to recommend surgery or an oral appliance in a CPAP intolerant patient?  

5. Can you explain the different techniques for performing the MMA, and how successful these are for reversing OSA?  Is it possible to achieve an AHI of zero after an MMA?

6. Do you recommend adult jaw development as an alternative to surgery?

7. Is sleep apnea surgery covered by insurance?

….and many more.

Direct download: Capasso_OSA_Surgery.mp3
Category:Expert Interview -- posted at: 6:01am EDT

In this month’s program, I’ve invited Buteyko breathing instructor Patrick Mckeown to talk to us about how this breathing technique can improve symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.

Direct download: Buteyko.mp3
Category:Expert Interview -- posted at: 5:58am EDT

In this Expert Interview program, Ms. Lisa Brateman will talk to us about the psychology of obstructive sleep apnea. This is an important topic that affects not only those of you with sleep apnea, but also your loved ones, your friends, and family members.

Direct download: Expert_Interview__Psychology_of_OSA.mp3
Category:Expert Interview -- posted at: 5:56am EDT

In this Expert Interview, I talk with Mr. Eric Cohen and Mr. Jake McCabe of National Sleep Therapy on how their company achieves an 89% CPAP adherence rate. 

Besides revealing their secret to getting very high adherence rates, here are some other questions we covered:

 - Define compliance or adherence, and medicare criteria
- What’s the national CPAP adherence rate average?
- Being compliant or adherent doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re sleeping better, right?
- How does the patient, doctor, and DME work together to raise adherence rates?
- How long do you stay with the patient?
- Do you have any special tools to help the patient?
- What would you say are some of the top things patients can do?

Direct download: Cohen.mp3
Category:Expert Interview -- posted at: 5:53am EDT

Dr. Christian Guilleminault on UARS

This month, I interview Dr. Christian Guilleminault of Stanford University, who is one of the pioneers in sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment. We’re going to focus on Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), which he discovered.

Here are some of the questions we covered:

- Describe to us what UARS is and how it’s different from OSA?

- Why is the AHI limited when it comes to picking up UARS.

- How to diagnose UARS: Esophageal manometry vs. nasal cannula.

- How UARS patients have intact nervous systems, whereas sleep apnea (OSA) patients have diminished nervous systems, and what may cause progression from UARS to OSA?

- How do you treat patients with UARS? How is it different from treating sleep apnea?

- What are the dental options for UARS?

- How common is UARS in children and how can they be treated?

And much more…

Direct download: Guilleminault_7_26_11.mp3
Category:Expert Interview -- posted at: 5:48am EDT

In this program, I interview Dr. Robert Corruccini, anthroplologist and author of How Anthropology Informs the Orthodontic Diagnosis of Malocclusion’s Causes (Edwin Mellen Press). We’re going to talk about why modern humans have crooked teeth, and how this relates to smaller  jaw sizes and smaller upper airways. In particular, you’ll learn:

- When did humans begin to experience a lot of occlusal problems?

- What kind of genetic and environmental factors can cause malocclusion?

- How does Dr. Corruccini’s work compare and contrast to Dr. Weston Price’s work?

- Is it true that even a few hundred years ago, humans didn’t have as many impacted wisdom teeth?

- What are some of the health consequences of crooked teeth?

- Has modern dentistry helped or hurt our teeth and our health?

- For those of use with dental crowding already, what can we do? What can we do for our children?

Direct download: Corruccini_6_28_11.mp3
Category:Expert Interview -- posted at: 5:46am EDT

In this program, I interview Ms. Joy Moeller, an orofacial myologist, on how the way you use your mouth and tongue can profoundly affect the way  you speak, swallow, and breathe. Here’s what we discuss:

1. What is orofacial myology (also called myofunctional therapy)?

2. How is this related to snoring and obstructive sleep apnea?

3. What can you do to help TMD/TMJ patients?

4. How does myofunctional therapy help forward head and neck posture?

5. Why is this treatment not taught in medical or dental schools yet?

6. Can young children benefit from orofacial myology?

7. And much more…

Direct download: Joy_Moeller_-_Orofacial_Myology.mp3
Category:Expert Interview -- posted at: 5:42am EDT

Expert Interview with Dr. Dave Singh, who is the author of Epigenetic Orthodontics and inventor of the DNA appliance. We discuss:

– What is Epigenetic Orthodontics?

– How is Epigenetic Orthodontics different from conventional orthodontics?

– Sleep apnea as a craniofacial problem

– How the DNA appliance can help obstructive sleep apnea

– How is the DNA appliance different from conventional oral appliances.

Direct download: Epigenetic_Orthodontics.mp3
Category:Expert Interview -- posted at: 5:39am EDT

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