STATE OF THE ART LASER DENTISTRY

Snoring is the sound of relaxed, thin and loose tissues and muscles in the airway vibrating during your sleep. Snoring can originate in the nose, mouth or a combination of both and can occur during any stage of sleep. 

In more severe cases, the tissue completely or partially blocks you from taking in oxygen, resulting in a condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Repetitive apnea episodes per hour cuts off oxygen to the brain which can increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, thyroid disease, acid reflux, and a whole host of other systemic issues. Traditionally, sleep apnea has been treated using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine which blows a stream of oxygen into the airway while you sleep. While this method is effective because it allows you to breathe without interruption, many patients find this solution uncomfortable, loud, and inconvenient. 

Nightlase® is a non-invasive laser treatment used to open a patient's airway, resulting in improved sleep, reduced snoring and better breathing while awake and sleeping. The laser is directed at the soft tissue area in the back of the throat (much like shining a flashlight) and gently heats the soft tissue, which then tightens and lifts the tissue in the back of the throat. This can significantly improve your sleeping patterns and optimize your life. Not only does this decrease the amplitude of snoring, but it also serves as a treatment for reducing the effects of sleep apnea.

If you're unsure if you snore, download SnoreLab (iPhone) or SnoreClock (Android) to record your sleep.  We recommend measuring your snoring for at least two nights (without sleep altering medications or substances). You can e-mail us your results if you're unsure which steps to take next. Depending on the severity, we would then recommend a sleep study. We provide an easy to use home sleep study for our patients. If you've had a sleep study in the last 5 years we will need your AHI results from that test. 

A full course of NightLase® consists of 3 separate treatment sessions at least 21 days apart. 60 days following your last treatment, you will repeat the home sleep study to re-evaluate your sleep apnea score. There is no required down time after the procedure and normal activities may be resumed immediately without any restrictions. There’s no need for anesthesia, sutures or scalpels. This treatment does not cause scarring compared to surgical intervention. The results of the treatment are long lasting however annual maintenance is recommended to maintain progress.

Tonsil laser therapy is appropriate for people who have chronic tonsil infections or tonsil stones who do not want to surgically have them removed.

The laser is directed at the tonsil tissue in the back of the throat (much like shining a flashlight) and it gently heats the tissue, which then tightens and shrinks the tonsils. It will make a significant difference in the amount of obstruction the tonsils may be causing in the airway as well as remove infection and sterilize the tissue. 

Because the laser is non-invasive, there is no down time after the procedure, and normal activities may be resumed immediately after the procedure without any restrictions. 

ComfortLase® Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) provides a clinically proven, non-invasive solution for a wide variety of wound healing and pain management applications.

PBM utilizes low-level, visible-red to near-infrared light energy which induces a complex chain of physiological reactions in diseased and damaged tissues to accelerate wound healing and tissue regeneration, increase circulation, reduce acute inflammation, reduce acute and chronic pain and help restore normal cellular function. 

For swelling and inflammation, PBMT opens the lymph system and smaller arteries for lymphatic drainage, speeds up healing of trauma and infection problems, and re-activates sluggish or inactive cells to promote healing.

Other Treatable Conditions:

• TMJ Disorder
• Oral Mucositis (side effect of radiation and chemotherapy)
• Burning Mouth Syndrome
• Herpes and Canker Sores
• Tinnitus
• Dental Pain
• Wound Healing (skin or mucosa)
• Dry Socket
• Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid

Snoring is the sound of relaxed, thin and loose tissues and muscles in the airway vibrating during your sleep. Snoring can originate in the nose, mouth or a combination of both and can occur during any stage of sleep. If you or a family member are aware of your chronic snoring, you may benefit from Nasal Laser treatment. 

Before treatment, you must determine if your snoring is associated with obstructive sleep apnea by completing a home sleep study that we provide. If you do not have obstructive sleep apnea based on the sleep study and only experience nasal snoring, Nasal Laser treatment would be performed alone. If you experience nasal snoring associated with obstructive sleep apnea, Nasal Laser treatment would be performed with NightLase®.

SnoreLab (iPhone) and SnoreClock (Android) apps can be downloaded on your smartphone. Place the phone on your night stand and start the app before you go to sleep. When you wake in the morning and turn off the app it will provide statistics on your snoring for the entire night. We recommend measuring your snoring for at least two nights (without sleep altering medications or substances) to determine your severity of snoring. 

Nasal Laser treatment involves the use of a heat laser inside the nasal region to expand the nasal passageway to allow an increase of oxygen flow and nasal support. Nasal stents/”nose cones” are fitted after treatment and to be worn consecutively for 48 hours to support nasal opening and then while sleeping for an additional 5 days. It is recommended to complete 2 sessions 21 days apart and an additional treatment may be necessary for maximum results.