Research and Articles
Treating Severe OSA – Versatility is Key
Dental Sleep Practice – Product Spotlight | Winter 2020
by Steven Olmos, DDS, DABCP, DABCDSM, DABDSM, DAIPM, FAAOP, FAACP, FICCMO, FADI, FIAO, FACD
Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is comprised of various structural and neural pathologies of the upper airway. Ob-structive sleep apnea (OSA) is among the most prevalent forms of SDB. Regardless of disease severity, OSA has a host of metabolic and cardiovascular comorbid conditions. Mild and moderate apnea is often treated with positive pressure devices including APAP, BiPAP, and CPAP. However, 46% to 83% of patients are nonadherent if compliance is defined as usage for 4 or more hours per night.
Research and Articles
Treating chronic pain and breathing disorders with technology
Orthodontic Practice US (Volume 10 Number 2) | April 2019
Dr. Steven R. Olmos explores high-tech solutions to treatment problems.
Chronic pain and breathing disorders can be effectively treated with various technologies that take the frustration out of treatment for both the clinician and the patient. Check out the variety of technologies that help Dr. Steven Olmos treat these disorders.
Educational aims and objectives:
This clinical article aims to discuss how to treat chronic pain and breathing disorders with technology.
Expected outcomes:
• Recognize how 3D imaging can be beneficial for evaluation of chronic pain and breathing disorders.
• Realize the role that low-level laser therapy can play in chronic pain treatment.
• Realize how orthodontic appliance therapy can help in treatment of chronic pain, sleep-breathing disorders, and orthopedic/orthodontic therapy.
• Identify some testing methods for these chronic pain and breathing disorder issues.
Research and Articles
Improved Nasal Volume Utilizing Hyperosmotic Saline Xylitol Mixture (Effective Alternative or Adjunct to Decongestants and Antihistamines)
ECronicon Open Access – EC Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine | April 2019
by Dr. Steven R. Olmos & Dr. Joseph Baba
This paper quantifies the reduction of soft tissue hypertrophy of the nasal complex resulting in an increase of nasal volume and increased flow using a mixture of Xylitol and Saline. The health benefits of improved nasal breathing through increased inspired nasal NO (nitric oxide) and the antimicrobial benefits of Xylitol are discussed. Restoration of functional breathing (nasal) and it’s relation-ship to up righting head posture is reviewed.
Keywords: Xlear; Xylitol; Nasal Obstruction; Forward Head Posture; Nitric Oxide
Research and Articles
Oral appliances — past, present, and future
Orthodontic Practice US (Volume 9 Number 4) | June 2018
by Dr. Steven R. Olmos and Matt Rago review oral appliances and their characteristics
Oral appliances designed for relief of facial pain and jaw dysfunction, sleep breathing disorders, and orthodontics have been utilized for many years with little change in materials until recently. This article will review indications/limitations of existing designs/materials, and how computer-aided manufacturing allows for better and healthier alternatives.
There is always a reason for patients’ symptoms. Chronic face, jaw, head, and neck pain are all interrelated and are highly comorbid with sleep breathing disorders.1 Malocclusion, skeletal development deficiencies, and teeth crowding are symptoms of a functional breathing disorder. 2-7 Oral appliances are used for each indication.
Research and Articles
Improving quality of life and faces nonsurgically
Orthodontic Practice US (Volume 8 Number 3) | March 2017
by Steven Olmos, DDS, DABCP, DABCDSM, DABDSM, DAAPM, FAAOP, FAACP, FICCMO, FADI, FIAO
A case study featuring a young patient is presented as an example of the airwaycentered philosophy that essentially is defined as a mandibular relationship that produces the optimal orthopedic function of the temporomandibular (TM) joints and prevents or reduces airway collapse (oropharyngeal) in the unconscious state (sleep).
Research and Articles
Airway Centered Dentistry: (The A, B, C’s of Treatment for Chronic Face Pain/OSA and Closing Anterior Openbite Without Ortho)
by Steven Olmos, DDS, DABCP, DABCDSM, DABDSM, DAAPM, FAAOP, FAACP, FICCMO, FADI, FIAO
Bullet points
- Definition-orthopedic/functional breathing
- Comorbidity of orthopedic and facial pain and breathing
- Answers to our questions
- Method or technique-paradigm shift
- Integrating myofunctional techniques
This article defines “Airway Centered Dentistry”, explains the mechanism of chronic face/jaw pain and dysfunction, reviews the technique and triage systems that have been successful in the standardized approach currently utilized in 45 TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centres in seven countries.
Treating chronic pain is a lot like emergency medicine. There is a triage process where structural (orthopedic/dental), metabolic, breathing (functional and obstructive apnea), infectious, and genetic mechanisms are evaluated. When patients are unconscious in the ER the airway, breathing and circulation are evaluated. In the treatment of chronic head pain, we do the same.
Research and Articles
Chasing Pain
Diagnosing and Treating Trigeminal Neuralgia in General Dentistry
As dentists, we know quite a bit about tooth and gum pain, but when it comes to chronic facial pain and neuropathic pain, our dental school education leaves us unprepared. The objective of this article is to explain the differences between men and women with chronic orofacial pain and the relationship to proper functional breathing.
Research and Articles
Headache and jaw locking comorbidity with daytime sleepiness
Orthodontic Practice US American Journal of Dentistry , Vol. 29, No.3 | June, 2016
Purpose: To investigate the relationship between craniofacial pain symptoms (painful conditions present in the cranium and face, including jaw joint-related pathology and primary headache conditions) and daytime sleepiness, determined by the Epworth sleepiness scales (ESS), to correlate the comorbidity as well as potential predictive factors.
Research and Articles
Pediatric severe apnea/obesity/TMD/headache — Class III
Orthodontic Practice US (Volume 7 Number 3) | May 2016
The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), obesity, TMD, and headache in the pediatric population. It is possible to resolve OSA in children whereas we most often only manage it in the adult population. This demonstrates the need to identify the clinical signs and screen for sleep-breathing disorder symptoms in children and adolescents.
Research and Articles
3D orthopedic development for pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
This article seeks to evaluate the 3D volumetric changes that are necessary to treat pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Adult static therapies are not indicated for children. Children require dynamic therapies to encourage and correct skeletal development to improve sleep-breathing disorders. Formulas for arch width expansion are currently based on dental space and skeletal calculations and are not applicable nor are they validated in the treatment of pediatric OSA. Treating children with OSA requires a new formula of skeletal development for both maxilla and mandible based on correction of the immediate medical problem evaluated by overnight sleep testing called polysomnography (PSG) (attended) or home sleep testing (HST) (unattended).
