Now, it IS that easy to stop snoring!
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Nightlase®
Camarillo Smiles offers the NightLase® Snoring Treatment for people who are sick and tired of their snoring. And, for people that have bed partners that are sick and tired of their snoring 🙂
You want to stop snoring but the idea of wearing a mouth guard for the rest of your life or being hooked up to a CPAP machine every night, let alone going under the surgeon’s knife just isn’t appealing to you.
NightLase® is a breakthrough in snoring treatment. A Fotona Lightwalker laser is used to perform this treatment right in the dental chair. It’s quick and easy. It is non-surgical. There is no cutting, no shots and is virtually painless.
The Treatment Process
The standard process is three 20 minute sessions. These sessions are spaced out 3 weeks apart to optimize the growth of new collagen. Some people will need additional sessions.
Additional sessions
There are some conditions that increase the probability that it will be necessary to do more than the standard 3 sessions. Age, smoking, and prior CPAP use will often necessitate an additional session or even two.
The Way it Works
When you go to sleep, as you enter your dream phase, your muscles at the back of your throat relax. This relaxation causes the muscles that hold your air passages open to collapse, partially blocking your airflow. When the air travels past the obstruction it causes vibration and produces the sound that dreaded snore.
NightLase® uses laser light therapy to tighten up the tissues in the back of your mouth and creates a wider passage for air.
The NightLase® procedure involves shining a laser light on the soft palate, uvula, base of the tongue and back of the throat. This causes the collagen in the tissues to shrink up and become less flabby and allows new firmer collagen to be produced. This result is tighter tissue and muscles of the mouth, throat, and airway which helps open up our airflow and allows us to breathe better as well as sleep better.
More detail
The Fotona Lightwalker laser produces laser energy that causes a contraction of the collagen fibers within tissues of the airway. This tightens and strengthens the loose tissue which makes those tissues less apt to be flapping around, causing obstruction of the airway and the noise that goes with it. The laser energy also initiates the formation of brand new collagen which is more elastic that older collagen. What we see in the mouth is a visible shrinkage of the tissues around the airway which opens up the airway at the back of the mouth. And this toning up of the tissue makes the airway less apt to collapse, obstructing the airway since we have stronger, tighter collagen holding the airway open.
The NightLase® procedure targets the tissue in the areas of the soft palate, uvula, tonsil area and oropharynx. The back of the tongue can also be treated.
The use of laser energy to rejuvenate the fabby tissues that contribute to snoring is progressive, natural and smart. Unlike other treatments that try to deal with a compromised airway, Nightlase® improves the airway in a profound way.
You- During Treatment
The procedure requires no anesthetic, is virtually painless, does not require scary needles and has no side-effects. What people will often feel is the warming of the tissue. Something like drinking hot coffee but less than that.
No cutting, no bleeding, nothing scary. You’ll feel no pain during or after the session. Don’t confuse this laser treatment with other types of laser procedures that involve the cutting the soft palate.
You after treatment
It is truly a walk-in and walk-out procedure, with no preparation required prior to the treatment and no disruption to activities afterward.
You return to your normal routine right after the treatment. No numbing, no anesthesia is required. After the treatment, a dry throat for a couple of days is the worst you’ll feel.
You can eat and drink and talk- no problem. It is a good idea to hydrate afterward as the laser has a drying effect on the tissues.
Outcomes
Nightlase® is a non-invasive way to successfully treat snoring and help reduce the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea. It is safe and effective and has been clinically proven to work – research shows it reduces snoring for about 80 percent of treated patients.
Snoring relief
A reduction in snoring may become apparent immediately after treatment. Neocollagenesis (laying down of the new collagen fibers) continues to improve the result in the six months following your treatment sessions.
Most people will see a 40-90% reduction in their snoring.
While an improvement is often noticed after the initial session, subsequent sessions ensure optimal long-lasting relief from snoring.
Will the Effect Last Forever?
Yes and no. You can maintain the benefits of the Nightlase® treatment by doing single session touch-ups. The effects of the treatment typically last 6-14 months, with 12 months being average. Touch-ups can be done as often as needed to maintain your quiet nights. There are no known side effects of continued use.
When will I want to do another session?
We see that most patients are ready for a touch-up every year. The range seems to be 6-14 months with 12 months being the most common. You or your bed partner will be the judge of when you are ready.
How long has this procedure been around?
Nightlase® has been in use in Europe, South America and Canada since 2010 and has more recently been introduced to Australia and now the United States.
Why every dentist isn't offering this treatment
At Camarillo Smiles, we are always looking for technology that can make life better. But it is a commitment. Technology requires both continuous training and of course, a decent financial investment. Yes, of the 8 lasers we use in our practice, the Fotona Lightwalker is the most advanced, and yes, the most expensive.
Studies and Papers on Nightlase®
Other Options to Stop Snoring
CPAP
There are several types of sleep therapy machines, but a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine is by far, the most common. A CPAP machine forces a constant flow of air to your throat to ensure that your airway stays open while you sleep, which keeps you from struggling to breathe as we see in spontaneous pauses in breath associated with sleep apnea.
CPAP "Issues"
CPAP therapy involves wearing a mask all night, every night.
There is a high drop-out rate and non-compliance because of the annoyance and discomfort of wearing the mask, the ongoing nasal congestion, the drying out of the mouth, and the skin irritation.
Also, the machine needs to go with you when you travel. and, the social implications…
Surgery
Surgery for snoring is often seen as a last resort when a person does not respond to noninvasive treatments like mouthpieces or oral devices. There are many different options for snoring surgery, and each come with their own side effects and risks.
Pillar procedure
The pillar procedure, which is also called a palatal implant, is a surgical procedure which involves implanting small polyester (plastic) rods into the soft upper palate of your mouth. It is sort of like a batten in a sailboat sail or a shirt collar.
Each of these implants is about 2/3 of an inch long and 1/16 of an inch in diameter. As the tissue around these implants heals, the palate stiffens. This helps keep the tissue more rigid and less likely to vibrate and cause snoring.
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
UPPP is a surgical procedure that involves removing some of the soft tissues in the back and top of the throat. This includes removing the uvula, which hangs at the throat’s opening, as well as some of the throat walls and palate.
This makes breathing easier by keeping the airway more open, but their can be some serious long-term side effects like voice changes, swallowing difficulties, or the permanent feeling of something being stuck in your throat.
The procedures can help reduce snoring but it isn’t used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA)
MMA is an extensive surgical procedure that moves the upper and lower jaws forward to open your airway. This can open the airway and reduce snoring.
Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (Inspire)
Inspire is being advertised a lot lately. It is a surgically implanted device that stimulates the hypoglossal nerve. It’s activated during sleep and can sense when the person wearing it is not breathing normally and it sends a signal to tighten up the muscles of the airway. It doesn’t get to the root cause.
Septoplasty and turbinate reduction
Septoplasty and turbinate reduction correct physical deformity in your nose that may contribute to your snoring or obstructive sleep apnea.
A septoplasty involves straightening the tissues and bones in the nose. A turbinate reduction involves removing tissue inside your nose.
Both of these surgeries are often done at together at the same time. They can help make breathing easier and snoring less likely.
Genioglossus advancement
Genioglossus advancement is taking the tongue muscle that attaches to the lower jaw and pulling it forward. This can make the tongue firmer and less likely to relax during sleep.
The surgeon cuts a small piece of bone in the lower jaw where the tongue attaches and pulls that bone forward. A small screw or plate attaches the piece of bone to the lower jaw to hold the bone in place.
Hyoid suspension
Here, a surgeon moves the back of the tongue and the epiglottis forward. This helps open the airway lower down the throat.
During this surgery, a surgeon cuts into the upper throat and detaches several tendons and some muscle. Once the hyoid bone is moved forward, a surgeon attaches it into place. Because this surgery does not impact the vocal cords, your voice should remain unchanged after surgery.
Midline glossectomy and lingualplasty
Midline glossectomy surgery is used to reduce the size of the tongue and increase the size of your airway. One common midline glossectomy procedure involves removing parts of the middle and back of the tongue. Sometimes, a surgeon will also trim the tonsils and partially remove the epiglottis.
Surgery "Issues"
It’s surgery.
Surgery requires anesthesia, sometimes a hospital stay and a long and painful recovery.
Many people experience extreme pain for up to two weeks post-operative. They take several weeks off work and need to take strong pain killers.
And what is worse, around 50% of patients relapse after just one year.
And most surgeries are quite costly.
Oral Appliance (mandibular advanceement device)
These oral appliances look much like a mouth guard used in sports but the idea of these devices is to hold the lower jaw and keep it from falling back into the airway space. The device fits over the upper and lower dental arches.
Appliance "Issues"
Oral appliance involves wearing a mouth guard style device all night, every night to hold your jaw forward.
The compliance rate can be high due to discomfort and sometimes pain if the appliance is incorrectly fitted or wrongly used.
After Looking at Your Options, You Can See Why Nightlase® is a Great Choice
Safe, Easy, Quick Effective. And Affordable!
Nightlase® Treatment
Snoring Treatment- Snoring/Sleep apnea evaluation
- 4 treatment sessions (21 days apart)
- Additional sessions if needed $300/each
- Home sleep test for only $75
Nightlase® Touch-ups
As Needed- Snoring/Sleep apnea evaluation
- 1 treatment session
- Additional sessions if needed $300/each
- Home sleep test for only $75
Commonly Asked Questions
I Want it. How do I Get It?
Give us a call at (805)388-5700 and tell us you want Nightlase®. That’s it, we will see you soon.
Will insurance cover it?
I have bad sleep apnea, will this be good for me?
Nightlase® can certainly help with your moderate and severe sleep apnea. Additionally, we offer a non-surgical, non-invasive natural way of permanently enlarging your airway space and resolving obstructions that keep air from filling up your lungs with its life-giving oxygen. Ask us about Vivos.
Our Location
Our Location
Camarillo Smiles
92 Palm Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
Our Hours
| MON | 7:00am - 8:00pm |
| TUES | 7:00am - 8:00pm |
| WED | 7:00am - 8:00pm |
| THUR | 7:00am - 8:00pm |
| FRI | 7:00am - 5:00pm |
| SAT | 8:00am - 1:00pm |
Call us 805-388-5700
Email: info@CamarilloSmiles.com
Ask Us Anything