Dr. Jonathan Greenburg
Dr. Greenburg is one of the foremost authorities on treating Snoring & Sleep Apnea (OSA) in the United States. He was unhappy with the lack of knowledge by most Dentists treating OSA and dreamed of creating centers that consistently provided the highest level of quality care. The result was the creation of "Snore Experts" which, after more than a decade of treating Los Angeles patients, has grown to 5 successful locations in Southern California.
Sleep Certified represents the newest dream of taking his success in the Sleep field and sharing it with dentists nationwide so they can provide the same high quality treatment in their communities.
When the airway is partially obstructed, we snore. It is because as we draw a breath, the opening it passes through is partially obstructed and the air rushes in faster, causing the surrounding tissues to vibrate and create the classic snoring sound.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea and is caused by complete or partial obstructions of the upper airway. The biggest issue is the tongue falling back into the throat while we sleep.
When the airway is totally obstructed, we stop breathing. When we stop breathing, our blood oxygen levels drop, our heart speeds up, and our blood pressure increases. Think of running your car engine with no oil. Bad things happen. If our heart is healthy enough, we awaken suddenly, gasping for breath. Once we breathe, our heart rate drops and our blood oxygen goes up, and we fall back to sleep. Until the next time our tongue blocks our airway and the whole process cycles again. This can happen many times a night, and wreaks havoc on our organs as well as preventing us from getting restful sleep, when our body should be replenishing itself. If our heart is not healthy enough, it may stall out during one of these stressful apnea episodes, and we may never wake up.
Patients diagnosed with sleep apnea that are CPAP intolerant can be treated with an oral appliance. Worn only during sleep, a custom oral appliance fits like a sports mouth guard or an orthodontic retainer. Your Sleep Certified Dentist will recommend the oral appliance that is best for you. Oral appliance therapy is covered by many medical insurance plans.
(Continuous/Automatic Positive Airway Pressure) More severe Sleep Apnea cases often require CPAP/APAP machines. They work by opening up the airway with a pressurized airflow.
