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NFL Legend and Hall of Fame Player , Mike Haynes, graciously came to Nevada Dental Sleep, in Henderson, NV to renew his customized oral appliance which he uses to treat his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). He was diagnosed with OSA several years ago by a board-certified sleep physician. Initially intolerant to CPAP, he switched to oral appliance therapy and experienced significant success. After a thorough assessment of his medical history and health record, Dr. Jerry Hu, who is triple board-certified in dental sleep medicine, was able to discuss evidence-based literature addressing some of the medical issues that were raised. Mr. Haynes was concerned about memory issues, and brain fog. Also being a cancer survivor, he understood how oxygen desaturations can create more risks for cancer metastasis. As Dr. Hu explained some of the latest literature coming from Stanford Medical and MD Anderson, Mr. Haynes realized how important it is to spread awareness of untreated sleep apnea and the co-morbidities.
As Dr. Hu examined the CT scan results and evaluated the measurements of both soft and hard tissues, Mr. Haynes could visualize his anatomical features on the static image. Certain norms and metrics were discussed, and he was impressed with the field of view (FOV) of the equipment and software. Axial, Sagittal, Frontal and 3D renditions were evaluated and measured. He appreciated all the explanations.
Understanding that radiographs are "snapshots of one moment in time," Dr. Hu also used Acoustic Reflection and Dynamic airway measurements to ascertain his best oral appliance start position. Also using the widely known sibilant phonetics bite technique developed by Dr. Robert Ricketts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._Ricketts and advocated by Dr. Ed Spiegel and David Gergen. The technique was evaluated, and the results from pharyngometry confirmed an improvement in Mr. Haynes' upper airway patency at the proper vertical, lateral, and anteroposterior AP dimensions for his bite.
While collecting data and scans, they discussed how globally an estimated 1 billion people worldwide are estimated to be under diagnosed and untreated for OSA. It alarmed Mr. Haynes greatly. Moreover, with all the connections to so many systemic issues, often times the root cause of those issues, he was quite concerned about the fact that medical school training through residency allow for 3-4 elective training hours on sleep medicine at best. "No wonder why so many primary care physicians and doctors don't find that connection or discuss sleep problems' with patients,". Dr. Hu emphasized that this well-known fact often leads to late interventions when diseases have progressed or worsened after years of using "band-aids" and "prescription pills" to address systemic issues instead of investigating the root cause. As with Dr. Hu's own parents, with his dad passing 3 years ago from Alzheimer's and congestive heart failure, to his mom passing away last August (2023) from kidney failure due to decades being on hypertension medications, Dr. Hu feels the internists, cardiologists, ENT's, neurologists, and primary care physicians all addressed their OSA far too late.
Since Dr. Colin Sullivan invented the CPAP in the 1980's the needle has not moved forward in terms of successful treatment, adequate diagnosis, and proper education/ awareness of the consequences of untreated sleep apnea. In sleep apnea, where it can be detrimental, and even fatal, to ignore treatment and diagnosis, the cliche "don't judge a book by its cover" holds paramount truth. Athletes at their prime, even marathon runners, can have severe sleep apnea and not know it. The traditional idea that only obese (high BMI) people have sleep apnea has long been shown to be untrue in the evidence based literature. The evidence shows that it is far more than just weight, but also the tonicity of the airway muscles, the collapsibility of the airway, and also the neurology as with loop gain and central sleep apnea (CSA).
As Mr. Haynes understood the severity of this world-wide issue, he feels motivated to help out and as a retired professional football player/athlete, he knows the importance of being at our fullest potential during sports, during work and during family time. Being associated with the current Raiders football team he agrees that the athletes need to get sleep studies done and have thorough analysis of their sleep architecture and study results. If they have apneas and hypopneas and oxygen desaturations, it is very important to have all that addressed so that these star athletes can perform at their fullest potential. It is all of our hope that when differences are made, the spread of sleep apnea awareness and treatment can begin to move the needle forward.
Working with the right Lab
It is also of utmost importance for Doctors to work with FDA-cleared quality laboratories, with a notable track record for crafting and delivering customized oral appliances on time. Dr. Hu uses Gergen's Orthodontic Lab. With decades of experience and all appliances made in the USA, Gergen's Orthodontic Lab in Phoenix, AZ, is a dependable and highly experienced lab, offering a predictable turnaround time of less than 10 days..
Several other labs may take 5-6 weeks before completion and many outsource their manufacturing outside of the US. It’s a tragic fate when a patient dies before receiving their appliance. This is particularly noteworthy given recent events where a well-known NFL player and former Super Bowl champion passed away in his sleep, as did NBA legend Moses Malone. Mr. Haynes understands the urgency and emphasizes that proper sleep, comprising 7.5-8 hours per night for an adult, is crucial for our health.
Our shared goal is for the NFL to help raise awareness of sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment. Progress must be made, as it directly impacts our quality of life, our ability to reach our fullest potential, and upholds the oath of the healthcare profession.
Written by Dr. Jerry Hu, DDS, DABDSM, DACSDD, DASBA
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