BY KATHARINE KIRCHMEYER
North Tonawanda, NY — Twenty percent to 40 percent of the adult population does it. They may not even realize they’re doing it or that it could be a sign of a bigger health problem.
A local company has a way to fix the problem.
The “Today Show” with Matt Lauer recently featured a segment about snoring, and one of its associated disorders, sleep apnea. One of the treatments mentioned in the piece included the use of a device, a Klearway appliance, to open the airway and reduce snoring. The appliance is fabricated by Great Lakes Orthodontics in the Town of Tonawanda.
According to Christina LaJoie, project manager at Great Lakes Orthodontics, the organization has attained the exclusive license to fabricate the product worldwide, with the exception of Canada, for the next 10 years.
LaJoie said the appliance was invented by Dr. Alan Lowe of Vancouver, British Columbia. Lowe is a researcher at the University at British Columbia and a recognized expert in the sleep community for the treatment of sleep disorders.
LaJoie described the purpose of the Klearway appliance.
“It gets pretty technical, but basically, you wear it in your mouth, and it repositions the lower jaw forward so the tongue doesn’t block the airway,” LaJoie said. “It was filed with the Food and Drug Administration for chronic snoring as a second line treatment in tolerant patients.”
LaJoie said the percentage of patients are more compliant with this devise than other treatments such as surgery or laser treatment.
“As patients become more aware of non-invasive oral therapy, they tend to chose it over surgery,” she said.
LaJoie noted that sleep appliances such as the Klearway appliance are to be used for mild to moderate sleep apnea cases.
Jan Palmer, the office manager for Kathleen Bennett, Doctor of Dental Surgery, in Williamsville, a certified sleep treatment specialist in Western New York, said snoring may be a sign of underlying bigger problems, and that was what the “Today Show” segment addressed.
“Snoring is the underlying problem for sleep apnea,” Palmer said. “Snoring is snoring, but it’s caused by other things. Doctors and researchers have tied it to hypertension and stroke.”
Palmer said sleep apnea is no more prevalent than it once was, but its being diagnosed and treated in greater numbers, hence its mention on a program like the “Today Show”.
“I think the ‘Today’ segment was supposed to be about snoring and how it can be pretty straining on couples,” Palmer said. “Then they realized there’s actually a medical condition and treatment. Any age and any gender can suffer from problems like sleep apnea. People have to be more aware that this is a prevalent problem and get it checked out by their doctors so it can be treated.”
Palmer described the steps to seek treatment.
“If people think they have sleep disorders, they have to go to their pulmonologist or neurologist first to get diagnosed,” she said. “Then they can get referred to a specialist like Dr. Bennett for treatment.”
Palmer said that in her office, 95 percent of patients receiving treatment for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea have shown improvement and said they feel better overall.
“People have to be referred to us by a sleep study,” Palmer said. “From there, we can help them find the best course of treatment.”
Contact Katharine Kirchmeyer at 693-1000, Ext. 113.
