beyond flossing

Official Blog of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine: It’s All About Personality

2010-10-27T10:24:00.001-06:00

Official Blog of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine: It’s All About Personality

It’s All About Personality

A new study in the journal Sleep and Breathing found that personality might help researchers predict what patients will follow doctors’ orders.

Sleep experts estimate that 25 to 50 percent of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients do not comply with CPAP, the standard therapy. But doctors cannot always predict which patients will follow their treatment plan and which ones will leave their condition untreated.

Adherence is considered wearing a CPAP mask for at least four hours per night, 70 percent of nights. Compliance can be measured via data collected from the CPAP machine.

This study examined the relationship between adherence and three measures of personality and coping strategies. There were 63 subjects, including 31 men and 32 women previously diagnosed with OSA.

Ratings on the behavioral inhibition system/behavioral activation system (BIS/BAS) scales, the ways of coping inventory, and a broad personality measure (mini-IPIP) were analyzed.

Elevated BIS was the strongest predictor of nonadherence, followed by neuroticism. The method correctly classified 73 percent of participants as adherent or nonadherent.

Nonadherence is associated with elevated BIS scores and neuroticism, indicating that personality factors play a role in determining adherence to CPAP.

CPAP is not the only OSA treatment available. Oral appliance therapy is a good alternative for patients who do not tolerate or comply with CPAP.

American Academy of Head Neck and Facial Pain (AAHNFP):Headaches and Dental Health

2010-09-21T11:00:00.001-06:00

American Academy of Head Neck and Facial Pain (AAHNFP):Headaches and Dental Health

Headaches can be caused by your bite...read this article and let your dentist know if you get headaches!

Pea in the lung? Try jewelry, bones, dentures among inhaled items - USATODAY.com

2010-09-15T11:13:00.000-06:00

Pea in the lung? Try jewelry, bones, dentures among inhaled items - USATODAY.com

Interesting article...

Sleep apnea - MayoClinic.com

2010-09-11T04:13:00.000-06:00

Sleep apnea - MayoClinic.com

So many people have Sleep Apnea and don't know it...here is a link to the Mayo Clinic site explaining what it is, in understandable language, and what you need to know about it. If you think you or someone you know has this disorder, contact your primary care physician and get a sleep test to get a definitive diagnosis. Your dentist can order a sleep test as well but only a small percentage of them are aware of sleep apnea and how to treat it.

Questions? leave a comment!

take the Epworth Sleepiness survey

2010-08-31T10:41:00.000-06:00

Are you tired during the day? do you find yourself nodding off behind the wheel? You may have sleep apnea, a potentially fatal sleep disorder. Take this online survey to see if you may be at risk. A score of 12 or higher means you should probably have a sleep test done to see what's going on. If you have questions, post in comments and we'll try to help.

take survey here

Welcome to our Blog!

2010-08-31T10:02:00.000-06:00

My husband and I are both dentists and practice in South Denver. Our goal is to spread information about dentistry beyond the basics of brushing and flossing. Everyone knows they need to brush and floss but not everyone knows how vast the field of dentistry is and what it has to offer on a much bigger scale. Sleep Apnea and Snoring are related to the oral cavity and yet most people, including many medical doctors, don't realize that we can help! So many people get migraine headaches and suffer constantly and don't realize it could be related to their teeth and that a trained dentist could possibly help them.
Kevin and I have 28 years of combined experience. We'd like to pass on some our knowledge for the greater good as well as keep the general public updated as to what's out there in the dental world or what might be...

We invite you to browse this site as well as our websites and if you have a question or would like to post a comment please feel free to do so!

http://parkmeadowsdentalcare.com/

http://www.dcforcd.com/