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Catch ZZZZZs
Our Oral Appliances Can Successfully Treat...
Disrupted Sleep
Do you find yourself awake two or three times in the night to use the restroom or are you just restless in general? Your body should be able to get through eight hours of uninterrupted sleep for bodily functions. If you find yourself up a few times a night to use the restroom, it's possible you suffer from sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea
The Greek word “apnea” literally means “without breath.” Sleep apnea is an involuntary cessation of breathing that occurs while the patient is asleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. In most cases, the sleeper is unaware of these breath stoppages because they don’t trigger a full awakening. Source: sleepapnea.org
Fatigued
Do you find it hard to get up in the morning and get through your day? Your clock says you slept six to eight hours, but if you suffer from sleep apnea, it's possible you're not even getting four. The number of hours that you sleep are just as important as the quality of the hours you're getting. Sleep apnea keeps you from reaching REM which means you're missing out on the most important stage of the sleep cycle.
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TALMADGE D. WILKINS IV, DMD, FAGD
Talmadge D. Wilkins IV, DMD, FAGD is a graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina School of Dentistry. Before studying dentistry, he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from West Virginia University. At WVU, Dr. Wilkins was a member of its rifle team where he won four NCAA National Championships and earned six All-American honors. During this time, he was also a member of the US Shooting National Team. While he won many national honors, his highest accolade was winning a gold and silver medal for the United States in the 1994 World Championships in Milan, Italy.
After dental school, Dr. Wilkins completed a general practice residency followed by training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia, now Augusta University. He is the former Assistant Director of the Medical College of Georgia’s General Practice Residency. Dr. Wilkins has also graduated from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management Executive Management Program.
He is also an alumnus of the prestigious L.D. Pankey Institute where he focused his studies in Advanced Restorative Dental Treatment, Complex Occlusion (Bite) Problems, TMJ Syndromes and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) and Aesthetics. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of The Pankey Institute and serves in various other capacities at the Institute.
Steps of Treatment
1
Dr. Wilkins will work in conjunction with a sleep physician, who will provide a formal diagnosis based on a medical sleep study. He will then decide if you are a good candidate for an oral appliance.
2
During the comprehensive exam and oral analysis, x-rays will be taken and the best oral appliance is determined. Impressions are taken to achieve a custom fit and your out of pocket fee will be collected.
3
Approximately 3 weeks later, a custom appliance designed to treat your level of apnea is made and delivered to you. Instructions on wearing and care for the appliance will be discussed.
4
Follow-up visits will occur to ensure proper fit of the appliance, evaluate treatment effectiveness, and treat any side effects.
5
A follow-up sleep study will be performed to ensure the sleep apnea has been treated effectively.
6
An annual review is necessary to continue successful treatment and prevent side effects.
