- The first courses of Dental Sleep Medicine in Mexico will be taught at the ENES de León.
- Classes will be taught by international sleep medicine and surgery specialists, pulmonologists, otolaryngologists and orthodontists from Tufts University.
- The most novel thing about this technique is that it proposes the participation of dentistry to attend to sleep problems.
Innovations within the field of health are a constant. Nothing is static because everything can be improved and complemented based on new knowledge. In this way, a new treatment will arrive for the first time in our country for the training of doctors and it is the dental sleep medicine.
First of all, it should be noted that the sleep disorders affect more and more people. It is estimated that approximately one billion suffer from Sleep apnea in the world and impacts your overall fitness and everyday life.
According to the head of the Division of Continuing Education and Innovation, of the National School of Higher Studies (ENES) LeonRoberto Ruiz Diaz, these changes are related to obesity and weight gain. These nutritional habits can also generate problems of hypertension, metabolic and even some patients are more likely to develop heart problems.
It has been reported that until 45 percent of the adult population complains of poor quality sleep at some point in their life. While more than 30 percent of men are snorers.
Therefore, Ruiz Díaz stated that in ENES León will be a pioneer in Mexico of dental sleep medicine. To do this, they will start together with the Tufts University, United Statescourses to address these alterations in a multidisciplinary way, considered a public health problem.
The first will be delivered by international specialists in sleep medicine and surgery, pulmonologists, otorhinolaryngologists and orthodontiststhrough four modules that will take place from September of this year to March 2023 at the facilities of the ENES León, the American educational institution and online.
In addition, with this activity, a process of linkage with the North American university begins and the strengthening of the internationalization of said Mexican university entity. He specified that letters of intent were signed with Tufts University to collaborate in research and have student and academic mobility.
Likewise, it is sought that the courses establish the bases to have, in the future, with graduates and create a Sleep Clinic at the ENES León. If materialized, it would be quite similar to the one currently held by the UNAM in Mexico City.
multidisciplinary care
According to the expert, it is recommended that adults sleep eight hours a day so that people go through the different stages of sleep -that they can have REM and non-REM sleep, characterized by rapid eye movements- and that they allows to carry out the biological processes of repair of the organism.
When breathing is suspended while sleeping, he added, oxygenation decreases to critical levels, including that of the brain and metabolic repair processes.
What does dental sleep medicine propose?
In this sense, the specialist added that it is important to treat these alterations in a multidisciplinary manner through specialties such as otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, psychology, speech therapy. While the most recent novelty is that it must also be Add dentistry and that’s what drives dental sleep medicine.
“As orthodontists we offer some solutions, specifically for apnea, based on mandibular advancement devices, which are devices for night use and make the jaw have a more advanced position. It is responsible for releasing the patency of the airway at the pharyngeal level and makes the patient no longer snore or snore less”.
According to the university expert, children also have sleep apnea and it can Diagnose a pediatric dentist and treat simultaneously with the otorhinolaryngologist.
At an early age, obstructions of the upper respiratory tract associated with the right upper jaw or related to the growth of the adenoids or tonsils can be detected. Also with some problems due to allergic rhinitis, among others.