Sleep Apnea Dentist, Arthur M. Strauss, DDS Retired
Special Interest in
the Dental Management of Snoring,
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and
Awake Related Oral Function Issues


Arthur M. Strauss, DDS Retired
Diplomate, American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine *

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About Dr. Strauss

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Articles, Sleep Apnea

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Television Appearances

Articles - Your Health Magazine, June 2008

Women, Breathing, Sleep Apnea, Menopause, Posture and More – Part III

Part Three of Three

Our genetics and environment not only:

The compensations begin with keeping our airway open, then managing breathing and circulation create secondary imbalances and further compensating for this. It goes on and on in a chain reaction to regain an equilibrium and maintain homeostasis.

This wear and tear upon the body becomes visible in numerous symptoms and combinations of symptoms given names of various diseases and syndromes. I believe that it is merely a description of various compensation pathways and their effects. Aside from physical injury, I believe that to the degree we decrease the body’s need to compensate, giving first priority to the airway that is mostly controlled by the tongue, we decrease the chains of compensations and symptoms of disease.

I believe that the mouth and the jaws, as the primary influence of the tongue posture, position and muscle tone, sit on the top of the pyramid for health and well being. Although nutrition and a non-toxic environment play important roles, they are supporting roles. How long can the body go without food or water before it is in a state of crisis? How long can it go without air?

The tongue lies in a zone that falls between medicine and dentistry, essentially a “no-man’s zone”. Dentistry pays some attention to its influence upon the position of teeth. Medicine sees it as a breathing influence, but treats it like a hunk of meat rather than one of the most remarkable muscles in the body. The tongue is closer in design to heart muscle than any other muscle and has more innervations to it than other muscles by far. Its primary functions, as stressed by Farrand C. Robson, DDS of Tacoma, Washington, are speaking, swallowing and breathing.

Everything a dentist does affects the housing of the tongue; beginning with the shape, contour and position of the teeth, and the size and shape of the jaw. Through oral appliance therapy dentists can treat breathing 24/7.

* Denotes a board certified Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM). The board is self designated and does not confer recognized specialty status by any certifying organization. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recognizes the Diplomate status granted by the ABDSM. All Diplomate applicants must hold (at a minimum) a dental degree (D.D.S. or D.M.D.) or its equivalent and an active unrestricted license to practice dentistry in addition to completing an extensive application process, including presenting case studies and taking a written exam.

Arthur M. Strauss, DDS Retired

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