Snoring may wreck havoc on relationships, but until recently it was thought to be an annoying but harmless habit.
However, experts now agree snoring can signify something much more serious. When a person snores and has interrupted breathing while sleeping, they may have obstructive sleep apnea. This condition, which
causes the suspension of breathing while asleep, has been linked to high
blood pressure, heart failure, heart attacks and daytime drowsiness.
Dr. Kenneth L. Hilsen, a prosthodontist with a comprehensive dental practice in Ridgewood, NJ, invented the Hilsen Appliance to help treat snoring and sleep apnea disorders. He was inspired by his patients (and their unhappy spouses) to treat this pervasive problem.
"The Hilsen Appliance is non-invasive and easy to wear, and it has been
very well received by our patients," Dr. Hilsen explained.
"When my practice saw an increase in sleep disorders, I was compelled to come up with something my patients wouldn't try to avoid. Clinical studies show that, for a majority of cases, a well-made oral appliance can reduce or
eliminate snoring and significantly reduce symptoms of obstructive sleep
apnea."
Dr. Hilsen is among one of the few dentists, and even fewer prosthodontists, in the country who has been proactive in the area of sleep dentistry. Not only does he hold 3 patents for oral appliances to deal with various sleep disorders, he is one of the first dentists nationwide to be credentialed by the Certifying Board of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Hilsen also developed a continuing education course for practicing dentists entitled: Snoredontics: Wake Up to a New Era in Dentistry. "The Snoredontics course is one I deliver regularly because many dentists are not aware of the extent to which snoring or sleep apnea can have negative effects on the mouth, or the whole body," said Dr. Hilsen.
In addition to having served on the Board of Directors of the American
College of Prosthodontics, Dr. Hilsen is a charter member and Past President of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and serves on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Sleep Society.
He is also a dental consultant to several New York metro area sleep disorder centers, and serves as dental sleep disorder consultant to various tri-state area hospitals like the Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, N.J., and Pascack Valley Hospital in Emerson, N.J.
