Sleep Apnea Treatment in Sugar Land, TX

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that many people have, but they might not know it. It’s important to understand the symptoms of sleep apnea, so you can receive treatment as soon as possible. 

Sleep Apnea Symptoms 

There are a few ways to tell whether or not you suffer from sleep apnea. If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have sleep apnea but you should always check with your doctor to be certain:

• Loud snoring
• Gasping for air during sleep 
• Dry mouth after awakening
• Morning headache
• Difficulty staying asleep 

If you have these warning signs of sleep apnea, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist to ensure that you receive treatment as soon as possible. 

Sleep Apnea Tests

Your dentist may be able to provide an at-home sleep test to decide if you are in need of sleep apnea treatment or not. This test consists of a breathing monitor you wear overnight. After the test, your doctor will be able to determine if you have sleep apnea. Your doctor will discuss possible treatments with you at your next appointment. 

Take It Seriously

Sleep apnea should be taken seriously because it can affect your overall health. You may just think that sleep apnea makes you more tired during the day due to the lack of quality sleep at night, but if you don’t take action you could be at risk for: 

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Dementia 
• Certain cancers 

As we age, the symptoms of sleep apnea can become more dangerous. It’s important to stay on top of sleep apnea symptoms so you can combat them as early as possible. If you have any questions about sleep apnea, please contact our Sugar Land, TX office. 

The Pros and Cons of Cosmetic Dentistry

Many of us are obsessed with the way our teeth look. Think about it. What’s the first thing you notice about a person? For most of us, it’s the person’s teeth. Nevertheless,  even though a lot of us are obsessed with teeth, ⅓ of Americans are dissatisfied with the way their teeth look. 

That’s where cosmetic dentistry comes in. Cosmetic dentistry can help improve your smile and overall dental health. However, there are pros and cons to cosmetic dentistry so we’ve compiled a list to help you decide whether it’s the right choice for you. 

Cons of Cosmetic Dentistry

Teeth Sensitivity

While there are many good effects that come with cosmetic dentistry, there are also some that aren’t so great. Whitening your teeth can make your teeth sensitive to temperature, and you’re also encouraged to stay away from foods and drinks that can stain your teeth, such as coffee or berries. 

When getting a crown, a dentist has to drill into your tooth, which can lead to gum recession and sensitivity. Implants have also been known to cause infections and post-surgery bleeding. 

Permanence

Many of these procedures are permanent. You have to be completely certain that this procedure is right for you and it’s something you absolutely want because there’s no turning back once it is done. 

Price

Many people don’t just have a disposable income available for cosmetic dentistry procedures, so price can be a major con for some. For instance, veneers can cost anywhere between $925 and $2,500 per tooth. Braces can cost up to $5,000 or more. Financing and insurance can help cover these costs, but not everyone has these options. 

Pros of Cosmetic Dentistry

Health Boost

Kidney problems, heart disease, diabetes, and even oral cancer are some serious consequences of bad oral hygiene. Gum disease and tooth decay are also issues to worry about with poor oral care. After receiving cosmetic dentistry, there is more motivation for the individual to take good care of their teeth, leading to a happier and healthier person. 

Confidence Boost

The most obvious benefit of cosmetic dentistry is the confidence boost one gets from having a brighter, straighter smile. After any cosmetic dentistry procedure, you are guaranteed to feel better about your teeth. No more uncomfortable social situations trying to hide your smile. 

Looking Younger

Having healthy teeth can help make you look younger. A youthful smile lights up your entire face and can completely change your outlook on life. Not only will you look younger, but you’ll also feel younger, which is just as important. 

Set up an appointment with The Airway Dentists by calling 281-207-0790 to talk with one of our dentists about if cosmetic dentistry is right for you. At our office, we offer Invisalign® treatment. We’re here to answer any and all of your questions to help you make the step for better oral health and a more confident smile. 

Texas-Based Doctor Uses Airway Treatments to Address Systemic Health Issues 

HOUSTON (FEBRUARY 15, 2023) – The Airway Dentists, a private practice of biological dentist Dr. Kalli E. Hale, today announces its grand opening on March 3, 2023, at 18718 University Blvd. in Sugar Land. The Airway Dentists specializes in airway orthodontics, an innovative approach that factors in how the structure of the teeth and jaw affect breathing and systemic health, the long-term consequences of dental treatment and how airway issues are linked to common symptoms like teeth grinding and major health crises such as heart attack and stroke. 

80 million adults suffer from sleep-disordered breathing that is leading to other health complications, yet a staggering 80-95% of cases go undiagnosed as the root issue of the larger health problem. In addition, the risk of heart attack increases by 30% within 15 years after an obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis if left untreated. 

“Our understanding of the link between function and facial growth and development has dramatically improved in recent years. Identifying patients with sleep-breathing disorders presents unique opportunities for dentists and orthodontists to improve a patient’s health and treatment outcome,” said Dr. Hale. “The Airway Dentists is about more than just a better smile. It’s my mission to raise public awareness of airway dentistry to save children from developing sleep apnea or other SDB conditions.” 

As an expert in airway orthodontics, Dr. Hale identifies sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in patients by looking for signs of mouth breathing during sleep including tooth wear, the position of the tongue and the condition of the mouth’s soft tissues. Her goal is to prevent SDB, which can devastate one’s health. A disrupted airflow causes the body to work harder to get enough oxygen. Low oxygen levels can lead to many dangers, with immediate signs including excessive gasping or choking at night, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, sore throat upon awakening, high blood pressure, nighttime chest pain, difficulty concentrating, insomnia or restless nights, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bedwetting, irritability, oppositional defiant disorder, anxiety and depression.

The Airway Dentists treats hundreds of children and adults per year to correct underlying craniofacial issues versus just straightening their teeth. Dr. Hale uses different approaches for adults than for children, whose teeth and jaws are not yet fully developed. In children, she uses a variety of options to develop and grow their arches, align their teeth and improve their sleep quality. Adult techniques also vary, including adult expansion and mandibular advancement devices, which pulls the jaw forward. Regardless of age, every patient has access to the most advanced examination technology, including digital x-rays, dental cone-beam or CBCT scan (for 3D x-rays) and an in-house digital scanner to capture images of the soft tissue. 

“I never thought I’d get to a point in my career where I am no longer just doing restorative dentistry,” said Dr. Kalli E. Hale. “My life is so fulfilled by catching health issues such as sleep apnea in my patients. They look forward to seeing me because they are sleeping better and breathing better than ever before.” 

The 3,300-square-foot practice touts eight patient rooms and is equipped with two high efficiency ERVs in the HVAC system to pump in enough fresh air to replace the air in the building every four hours. Additionally, the HVAC system uses HEPA filtration. The Airway Dentists plans to expand its specialized practice and open future locations at an accelerated pace over the greater Houston area.

About The Airway Dentists 

Founded in 2019, The Airway Dentists is a private practice of biological dentist Dr. Kalli E. Hale. Airway centered dentistry is a growing field focused on how the structure of the mouth affects sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in both adults and children. Dr. Hale is a clinical advocate for VIVOS Therapeutics, an advanced procedure designed to treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, and SDB in adults, and works with dentists nationwide to develop clinical protocols for the treatment of these conditions. 

Since 2015, Dr. Hale has practiced at 2750 West Main Street D in League City, Texas, in the offices of New Teeth Dental Solutions. 

For more information, contact The Airway Dentists at 281-207-0790 or visit www.theairwaydentists.com/. Follow on Instagram: @theairwaycentereddentist and @the.airwaydentists.

The Airway Dentists Open First Location in Sugar Land

Texas-Based Doctor Provides Solution to Health Issues Using Airway Treatments

HOUSTON (NOVEMBER 29, 2022) – Dr. Kalli Hale, known as “The Airway Dentist”, is an expert in airway orthodontics, an advanced approach to help with children’s breathing and teeth alignment to prevent long-term health issues. Her first dedicated location to airway dentistry is set to open in early February at 18718 University Blvd in Sugar Land, Texas. It will occupy 3,300 square feet of interior space with 8 patient rooms.

“The concept of airway dentistry has been around for some time, but it is new in terms of public awareness,” said Dr. Hale. “Our understanding of the link between function and facial growth and development has dramatically improved in recent years. Identifying patients with sleep-breathing disorders presents unique opportunities for dentists to improve a patient’s health and treatment outcome. With thorough analysis and the right dental appliances, we can resolve these issues and give the patient proper airflow and a healthier lifestyle.”

Treating hundreds of children and adults per year to correct underlying craniofacial issues versus just straightening their teeth, The Airway Dentists provide a solution for many common behaviors resulting from sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Nearly 100,000 children in the US suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a form of SDB. For example, bedwetting after age 5 is not normal, however, 90% of children in airway dentistry treatment stop bed wetting in 8 weeks. Likewise, obstructed breathing is a little-known cause of ADHD and airway dentistry can provide an alternative solution that eliminates the need for medication.

“The Airway Dentists are about more than just a better smile,” said Dr. Hale. “My personal passion is to save children from ever developing sleep apnea or other SDB conditions. My practice is about better sleep and better health throughout a lifetime through airway-centered dentistry. By increasing social awareness and educating our patients, we strive to change outdated practices and provide solutions for our patients the moment we identify the problem. It’s time we start getting it right.”

The Airway Dentists’ office is equipped with two high efficiency ERVs in the HVAC system to pump in enough fresh air to replace the air in the building every four hours. Additionally, the HVAC system uses HEPA filtration. Incorporating this unique feature in each location, The Airway Dentists plan to expand their specialized practice and open future locations at an accelerated pace over the greater Houston area.

About The Airway Dentist

Founded in 2019, The Airway Dentist is a private practice of biological dentist Dr. Kalli E. Hale. Airway centered dentistry is a growing field focused on how the structure of the mouth affects sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in both adults and children. Dr. Hale is a clinical advocate for VIVOS Therapeutics, an advanced procedure designed to treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, and SDB in adults, and works with dentists nationwide to develop clinical protocols for the treatment of these conditions.

Since 2015, Dr. Hale has practiced at 2750 West Main Street D in League City, Texas, in the offices of New Teeth Dental Solutions.

Sleep Habits in Children

The amount of uninterrupted sleep a growing child gets directly influences their behavior. At The Airway Dentists, we work to maximize the amount of uninterrupted sleep for our patients so that they can be happier and behave more like themselves. It is critical to diagnose sleep apnea in children as early as possible so that it doesn’t impede their behavior. If your child has healthy sleep habits, they are more likely to be a happy child.

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea in Children

At The Airway Dentists, we try to diagnose sleep apnea in the early stages so that our patients can live a long, happy life without the need of lifelong sleep apnea treatment. The first step in diagnosing sleep apnea is completing our children’s sleep habits questionnaire. We will review the results, and if needed, we’ll ask your child to complete a take-home sleep test. Once we have all of the data, we will discuss options with you and your child to find the best solution for their needs.

How Sleep Apnea Affects Behavior

Sleep apnea is directly related to a child’s behavior because if a child isn’t getting a good night’s sleep, they will likely be cranky and moodier. Poor quality sleep means daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability and mood swings. Sleep apnea has been linked to elevated rates of ADHD-like behavioral issues in kids, in addition to learning and adaptive problems.

Kids with persistent sleep apnea were shown to be seven times more likely to have parent-documented learning issues and three times more likely to earn a grade C or under. The Airway Dentists take sleep apnea in children very seriously because they know first-hand how it can affect a child’s behavior and overall happiness.

If you suspect your child may have sleep apnea, please contact our office to learn more and schedule an appointment. We are passionate about healthy sleeping habits in kids and treating the symptoms early on. To learn more about sleep apnea & airway orthodontics click the button below.

Dental Sleep Medicine: Treating Sleep Apnea with Oral Appliances

When you think about services your dentist can provide, you’ll generally think of tooth cleaning, extractions and root canals. But did you know your dentist also may be able to help you with sleep apnea? “Dental sleep medicine” is a rapidly evolving field. One of the most prominent areas of dental sleep medicine is sleep apnea treatment.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea (sometimes spelled as “sleep apnoea”)  is a condition where the inflicted person’s breathing is restricted while they sleep, causing short periods of time where their breathing stops entirely or becomes very shallow during the night, often after snoring. Many people suffering from sleep apnea are unaware they have it, but it can have significant effects on quality of life. Many people who suffer from sleep apnea will wake up after a full night’s sleep without feeling well-rested at all. Going a long time without treatment also can have dramatic medical consequences, such as increasing the risk of heart or respiratory disease.

How can your dentist help?

If you are familiar with sleep apnea, you might associate it with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines. These machines are often very effective in treating sleep apnea, but they can be loud, uncomfortable and difficult to travel with.

One effective method of treating sleep apnea is with an oral appliance. These are fitted to your teeth like a mouthguard and comfortably hold your jaw forward to keep your airways unblocked while you sleep. They may not be effective in every case of sleep apnea, but the appliances are silent, more comfortable, easier and more convenient compared to CPAP machines or other electronic breathing equipment. 

The right sleep apnea device for you.

When you are looking for an oral appliance to treat your sleep apnea, it’s important to find a high-quality device and have your dentist professionally fit it to your teeth. Depending on the device, this can be done in a short period of time in a single visit, or your dentist may need to take the measurements and have it ready for you on your next visit. 

Some oral appliances are available over the counter, but these aren’t FDA approved for treating sleep apnea—it is important to involve a dental professional. Non-fitted, unapproved devices may be uncomfortable and ineffective. In some circumstances, it may even make your symptoms worse.

Oral appliances are just one method of treating sleep apnea. CPAP machines, other breathing equipment, surgery or weight loss also might help return you to restful sleep. You may want to begin by consulting your primary care physician to explore your options first. Then, if it looks like a dental device might help, a dentist trained in dental sleep medicine can help fit an oral appliance and tell you the pros and cons of different kinds.

Everyone deserves a good night’s sleep. If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea and your doctor determines an oral appliance is a viable option for you, we can help. Contact us to learn more about oral appliances for sleep apnea or any other dental concerns.

A Good-Looking Path to Better-Looking Teeth: Invisalign® Systems

Braces can feel like a bit of a contradiction. You want a clean, straight smile, but you first have to wear a highly visible device on your teeth for months on end. You want a well-aligned bite, but for a while, braces make some day-to-day tasks, such as brushing teeth and eating some foods, more difficult.

Fortunately, for those who want to show off their pretty pearly whites as they go AND show off the results of their realignment as soon as possible, one option is clear plastic removable aligners such as Invisalign® aligner systems.

The Benefits of Clear Aligners

Clear aligners, as their name suggests, are clear plastic devices intended to straighten your teeth over time. They are nearly undetectable by observers. Not only are they more difficult to see (getting you closer to being able to show off that perfect smile), but they can be taken out temporarily when needed, allowing you to brush your teeth or eat without distraction. 

The Clear Aligner Fitting Process

For most clear aligners, including Invisalign® systems, your dentist will take a mold of your teeth and send it in. From there, orthodontic experts will determine the difference in positions between where your teeth are and where you want them to be and will create several stages of aligners to gradually move your teeth into the desired position. You’ll have to wear the aligners most of the time—about 22 hours a day. At certain points in the process as your teeth change position, you’ll move on to the next device, switching them out until your teeth are right where you want them to be.

Alternatively, there are kits you can order to take a mold of your teeth at home. This is an overall less expensive process, but you aren’t likely to achieve the same results and you lose the benefit of your dentist’s expertise. Clear aligners may not be the best solution for you, so it’s best to consult your dentist beforehand even if you decide to go this route.

How to Pay for Clear Aligners

Depending on the degree of work your teeth need, an Invisalign® clear aligner treatment can cost between $5,000 and $7,000 at other practices. According to the Invisalign® website, your insurance may be able to pay as much as $3,000 of the cost. For the amount your insurance doesn’t cover, you have some options. The Airway Dentists are offering this same Invisalign® treatment for the low price of $3300!

Many dentists offer payment plans, which allows you to split a large bill into smaller payments over time. This makes payment much more manageable for some people and can be useful in emergency situations when you don’t have time to save money for the treatment before you begin.

Of course, if you can save the money ahead of time, that’s probably the better option. If you’re planning to save up for an Invisalign® clear aligner treatment or something similar, you may want to consider opening a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA). Accounts such as these allow you to take a certain amount of money out of your paycheck, pretax, to pay for some expenses—including, in some cases, clear aligners. The types of accounts you’re allowed to open and the amount of money you can put into them will vary depending on your situation, so talk to your bank or another financial professional about your options.

For those who can use them, clear aligners such as Invisalign® systems can be the least intrusive solution for straightening teeth. It’s nice not to have to worry about the looks and inconveniences of traditional braces! The initial cost of clear aligners may seem daunting, but options are available to help pay for them. If you have any questions about clear aligners or other methods of straightening your teeth, please contact us. We’ll be happy to walk you through your options and help you find the best possible solution for your smile.