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If you’re suffering from sleep apnea, you already know the short-term consequences. Your nights are marked by snoring, gasping for breath, and waking up dozens of times each sleep cycle. Your days are no more enjoyable. You might be plagued by drowsiness, morning headaches, sore throats, dry mouth, memory problems, depression, and decreased libido.

And the long-term consequences can be even more serious. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has been linked to high blood pressure, stroke, dangerous responses to medication or anesthesia, and falling asleep while working or driving.

In other words, OSA can have devastating consequences for your health and your quality of life.

You may have already tried out various non-surgical options. Perhaps your doctor has suggested behavior modification, oral sleep appliances or splints, Positive Airway Pressure machines—these and other methods have proven very helpful for some sufferers. But if these options don’t work for you, it could be time to talk to Dr. Matthew Hilmi about OSA surgery.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by an obstructed airway. The throat muscles may relax as you sleep and make it impossible to inhale fully with each breath. Or you may have a physical condition such as a large tongue, enlarged tonsils or excess throat tissue that blocks the free passage of air into your lungs. The size and position of your jaw can affect breathing as well, or your nasal passages may be involved.

In other words, Obstructive Sleep Apnea can be caused by a complex set of variables as air attempts to travel from nose to lungs, so your individual OSA diagnosis and treatment will vary depending on your individual anatomy. For this reason, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon like Dr. Matthew Hilmi is the specialist you need.

Oral surgeons pursue advanced studies for a minimum of four years in a hospital-based residency program. There, they train with medical residents in the fields of general surgery, anesthesiology, internal medicine, and other specialties with a specific focus on the bones, muscles, nerves, and skin of the face, mouth, and jaw.

Because your anatomy is unique, Dr. Matthew Hilmi will first carefully assess the causes of your breathing obstruction and, if surgery is indicated, will recommend a procedure or procedures tailored to treat your specific needs.

Among the specialized surgical procedures used to treat OSA are:

• Nasal Surgery—treats a variety of nasal passage obstructions such those caused by a deviated septum or a nasal valve collapse
• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)—removes or remodels excess tissue in the area of the soft palate and throat
• Pillar Procedure—a minimally invasive procedure which uses small implants to reinforce the soft palate and reduce vibration in the tissue
• Tongue Base Reduction—excess tissue can be removed surgically, or shrunk through the application of radiofrequency waves
• Genioglossus Advancement (GGA)—the tongue muscle is moved forward and tightened to prevent the tongue from collapsing backward during sleep
• Hyoid Advancement/Suspension—the small bone above the Adam’s apple is repositioned to expand the airway and prevent upper airway collapse
• Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA)—the upper and lower jaws are moved forward surgically to open the upper airway, after which the jawbone is stabilized in its new position.

These and other surgical procedures may be performed in a hospital or in our Kingston office, with traditional surgical techniques or using technologies such as radiofrequency waves, and can be minimally invasive or require a hospital stay.

It’s important to note that surgery is not always the solution to OSA, but we are uniquely qualified to diagnose the cause of your OSA and to recommend the most promising treatments, surgical or non-surgical.

If you—or a partner, family member, or friend—have noticed that you suffer from thunderous snoring, or episodes of gasping for breath, or that you wake up dozens of times each night, it’s a good time to make an appointment at our Kingston oral surgery office. It could be the solution of your dreams!

If you have an appointment for an examination with Dr. Matthew Hilmi, or have a surgical procedure on your calendar, it’s always best to come prepared. Bring your ID, your insurance card, the name of the dentist who referred you and any of your pertinent records or X-rays, and a list of your allergies and any medications you’re taking. And one more suggestion—leave your oral jewelry at home.

There are many reasons that both dental and medical associations recommend against oral piercings. You take the chance of infection, damage to your tooth enamel and gums, allergic reactions, and even nerve damage. And beyond these long-term concerns, there are several immediate reasons to remove any jewelry or piercings before a trip your oral surgeon’s office.

• Imaging Problems

The first step in restoring your health is to discover the nature of your injury. Often, this process requires an X-ray. Tongue, lip, and other oral jewelry can block the view of the very abscess, fracture, or other injury an X-ray is designed to reveal, and could require additional X-rays for clarity. And, of course, most MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) procedures require the removal of all metal jewelry.

• Obstruction

Depending on its size and location, a piece of jewelry can interfere with access to the treatment area. Dr. Matthew Hilmi can let you know if your jewelry will get in the way of your procedure.

• Aspiration/Ingesting Jewelry

If your jewelry becomes loose, there is the danger of aspiration (inhaling) or ingestion (swallowing) a metallic piece of the ring, barbell, stud, or whatever other jewelry you may have chosen. This foreign body can cause damage to your lungs or your digestive tract.

• Intubation

If intubation is necessary for airway management, or could potentially be needed, jewelry could interfere with the swift and efficient placement of the intubation tube. For this reason, many surgeons recommend that it be removed as a precaution.

If you’re scheduled for a surgical procedure in your future, it’s always best to come prepared. If you have a lip, tongue, or any other oral piercing, call our Kingston office for advice on what to do before your visit. We will be happy to let you know if your jewelry will be a problem during your exam or procedure.

Even when you ask all the right questions about your oral surgery, you may still have questions after surgery. It can be hard to tell what is and is not normal while you are recovering. It is common for your tongue, lips, or chin to feel numb for 24 hours after surgery. Depending on the type of surgery, and location of numbness, the sensation can last for a longer period. Some anesthetics, like Marcaine, also last longer, which adds to numbness.

Inflammation around the nerves in the surgical area can cause a loss of feeling or tingling sensation. Some inflammation is normal after surgical procedures. Swelling can continue to increase for two to three days after surgery so changes in numbness can be expected. Nerves may become bruised during procedures and they require time to heal.

Numbness after tooth extractions:

Loss of sensation in the lips, chin, or tongue is very common after tooth extractions, especially when teeth are removed in the lower jaw area. This includes wisdom tooth removal. In many cases, anti-inflammatory medication can elevate the problem.

Numbness after implant surgery:

Implant surgery can also involve bone grafting. It is common to have numbness in your chin or lips for one week to over one month after this type of oral surgery. The healing process is longer than other dental work. You should schedule a follow up appointment to ensure that the implants are healing correctly. Any issues will be checked at your appointment.

Numbness after denture placement:

Experiencing some numbness when you first receive dentures can be normal. Your mouth is becoming accustomed to your dental work. If numbness persists for more than a couple of days, have the fit of your dentures checked. Your dentures could be applying pressure on nerves that cause the numb sensation.

Numbness after root canals:

The back teeth in your lower jaw are close to major nerves. A root canal performed in this area can cause a numb sensation for a longer period. Actual nerve damage is not common but if the problem persists, schedule an appointment with us.

Follow all of the aftercare instructions provided. Dr. Matthew Hilmi and our office will be glad to answer any questions you may have before or after your oral surgery. Everyone has different reactions to surgery. Please call us at Mid-Hudson Oral and Maxillofacial Practice with your concerns; quick treatment of a problem can prevent the situation from worsening.

Poor April. While other months celebrate romance, or giving thanks, or costumes and candy, April has—April Fool’s Day and a tax deadline. We might be forgiven for thinking these two dates seem more like warnings than celebrations.

So here’s a new topic for the April calendar: National Facial Protection Month! Take the opportunity this month to review your safety practices while you’re enjoying your favorite activities.

• Mouthguards

If you have a mouthguard for sports or athletic activities, wear it! In any activity or sport where humans come into contact with solid objects (including other humans) tooth injury is possible. A mouthguard will help protect you from dental injuries caused by falls, physical contact, or other accidents that might happen in your active life. And it’s not just your teeth—mouthguards protect your lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw as well.

You can buy mouthguards in stock sizes or shape-to-fit models, or you can have a guard custom made especially for you at our Kingston office. Custom mouthguards fit perfectly and are designed to make breathing and speaking easy and comfortable. And if you wear braces or have fixed dental work such as a bridge, a custom mouthguard can protect your smile and your appliance.

• Helmets

If there’s a helmet available for your sport, use it! Helmets are especially important for protecting athletes from brain injury and concussion, and they help protect the face and jaw as well.

• Face Guards

If you’ve experienced a puck speeding toward you, or a defensive tackle hurtling your way, or a fast ball coming in at 90 miles an hour, you know the importance of wearing a face guard. These guards can help protect your eyes, face, teeth, and jaws. Many sports now recommend using face guards—it’s worth checking to see if your sport is one of them.

• Eye Protection

And let’s not forget eye protection. Whether it’s safety glasses or a visor, protecting your eyes and the bones around them is extremely important. You can even get sports goggles or protective sports glasses with prescription lenses to keep you safe and seeing clearly.

Oral surgeons, like Dr. Matthew Hilmi, have years of special training to help restore function and appearance to injured faces, mouths, and jaws. But as we will be the first to tell you, the very best treatment is prevention!

So here are a few suggestions for your calendar this month:

• If you haven’t gotten a mouthguard yet, now’s the time. Tooth and mouth injuries occur in sports beyond hockey and football. If you play basketball, ski, skateboard, ride a bike—in fact, almost any sport where you can fall or make contact with a person or object—a mouthguard is a must.
• If you need to replace an ill-fitting or damaged helmet and face guard, do it before your next game. And do replace a bike helmet if you’ve been in a crash—most likely it won’t be as protective, even if damage isn’t visible.
• Talk to your eye doctor about protective eyewear if off-the-rack products don’t work for you.
• If you are a parent or caregiver, make sure your child athlete has the proper facial protection—and uses it.
• If you are a coach, make sure your athletes have the right protective gear—and wear it.
• It’s also a great time to commit to using your protective gear every single time you’re active.

But, wait—these reminders are helpful and important, but weren’t we promised something to celebrate this April? Good catch! The great news is, using facial protection for sports and athletic activities gives you rewards you can celebrate all year: fewer injuries, fewer visits to the emergency room, and a beautiful, healthy, intact smile. Suit up!