Veterans and Wonderful Patients- What Priceless Gifts

There is no doubt in any American’s point of view that our veterans deserve better.  Being in the field of dental sleep medicine, it is a blessing to be able to improve and even in some instances, save lives of our veterans.  There are myriad of studies and evidence based articles that link PTSD, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Depression, Suicidal Tendencies, etc. to obstructive sleep apnea.

Below is a picture of a hero veteran who came to Nevada Dental Sleep for care and help. With his full permission, he wanted to share his story. Almost a double amputee (prosthetic arm and the other one has no hand), he has had terrible sleep breathing problems and airway disorder. His wife has witnessed him snoring and gasping for air and they haven’t had restful sleep in years together being in the same bedroom. His stories during the Vietnam War were all so inspiring and what a hero this gentleman is. He also went to a different local Vegas dentist before seeing Nevada Dental Sleep and he told us the other dentist treated him like cattle and they never did any follow up with him. None at all. The appliance they gave him also was way too tight and hurt his dentition, and he couldn’t even get it out on his own due to his disability. He needed assistance just to loosen it.

Therefore, it had been an honor and privilege to make things right and give the caliber of treatment he deserves.  Using Herbst style customized sleep appliances and measuring anatomical features of his nasal and oro-pharyngeal airway, the treatment was a full success.  Nevada dental sleep was able to knock his AHI out of the park! He reported back that his entire quality of life has improved. His wife is also so very pleased and sleep quality has substantially improved for the both of them.

Other wonderful patients have benefited as well from Herbst style appliances. The photo below shows a patient who also has successful outcomes at Nevada Dental Sleep. He was so pleased with his treatment that he wanted to share with the public his story. With the intention of bringing more awareness to the public, he did a full podcast with a Vegas local well known person Patranya’s Business Showcase Podcast series.  He came to Nevada Dental Sleep weighing over 440 pounds. He’s completely CPAP intolerant and had been let go at his job because he kept falling asleep during the middle of work- almost daily. He was not able to climb a flight of stairs and had to always wait for elevators. A year after compliance with his oral appliance, exercise and nutrition changes, he has now lost 160 pounds, became able to climb stairs and will be up for promotion on his new career/ employment!

These are the gifts for being in dental sleep medicine and doing a thorough and caring service. Choosing the right experienced labs and technicians all matter (these cases were made by Gergens Orthodontic Lab). Some dentists are in a race to go up on stage to exaggerate doing hundreds of cases per month or that they can herd cattle in and out of their clinics and that is tragic. An important admonition is work ethics. Please remember your healthcare oath. These veterans and wonderful patients deserve thorough treatment!