Sleep Apnea Now More Common Than Depression

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact number of people with sleep apnea, the National Sleep Foundation estimates it’s around 18 million — or higher, significantly more than some health conditions that receive much more attention.  With depression affecting nearly 14.8 million people, sleep apnea remains an aggressive, and commonly undiagnosed killer in many households.  Although sleep apnea is not curable, it is treatable in many cases.  Dentists are at the forefront of identifying an airway obstruction, due to dental continuing education programs provided by Sleep Group Solutions.  Upcoming lecture series are being held in Ft. Lauderdale, Minneapolis, and Las Vegas.

Common symptoms and signs of OSA include; Acid reflux, irritability, morning headaches, high blood pressure, hypertension, scalloped tongue, daytime fatigue and even depression.  Dr. Barry Freydberg, a dentist and sleep expert in Scottsdale, AZ regularly treats patients for sleep disordered breathing, and commonly sees a relationship between depression and OSA.  “The relationship between sleep and depressive illness is complex – depression may cause sleep problems and sleep problems may cause or contribute to depressive disorders.”  Dr.  Freydberg continues, “Sleep problems and depression may also share risk factors and biological features and the two conditions may respond to some of the same treatment strategies.”  Dr. Freydberg found treating the patient’s sleep apnea with an oral device, not only stops the apnea, it also halts many shared risk factors, including high blood pressure, irritability, and depression.

Dr. Barry Freydberg is an instructor for Sleep Group Solutions, a dental sleep medicine education, instrumentation, and in office training company.  During his lectures, he walks a room full of dentists through a proven protocol, and covers all the sleep apnea information related to dentistry.  The two-day lecture is worth 16 CEU, PACE/AGD approved, and also discusses; sleep stages, the science of sleep, home sleep testing, instrumentation, oral appliances, working with physicians, billing medical and marketing.  “Our psychological state of mind, spirituality, relationships, work, daily functioning, are all severely impacted by depression. And one of the major causes of depression is exhaustion. How sad if that were true for someone and we didn’t diagnose and treat it!”  says Dr. Freydberg.

To learn live with Dr. Freydberg, his upcoming lecture locations include:

Atlanta, GA (8/1-2)

Irvine, CA (8/22-23)

NYC, NY (9/19-20)

more dates

About Dr. Barry Freydberg

Dr. Barry Freydberg, a 1968 graduate of the University Of Illinois College Of Dentistry is a full-time practicing dentist. He was named “Alumni of the Year” in 2004.He is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, a Fellow of the International College of Dentists, a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and a Fellow of the International Academy for Dental-Facial Esthetics. He is a leading speaker on conservative “Prepless” esthetic dentistry and is considered a pioneer in raising dentists’ awareness of the ever-growing link between high technology and practice and clinical management. And, as digital technology has matured, he also focuses on “Techsthetics”, the link between technology and diagnosing, marketing and providing better esthetic dentistry.