Dr. Ann Abdulla, DDS

10/16/2026

A lot of people assume CPAP is the only option for sleep apnea. It’s one option. Oral appliances work differently, smaller, worn like a retainer, no mask or machine, and fit matters more than people realize in making one actually effective.

10/12/2026

He reports sleeping deeper, better - even dreaming again for the first time in years! The difference? Oral appliance therapy for his obstructive sleep apnea.

Learn more: https://www.getoffcpap.com/new-solutions-sleep-apnea/

10/09/2026

Jaw pain and poor sleep might be connected. A systematic review found sleep apnea was more common in people with painful jaw disorders (TMD), and one study hinted that apnea could raise the risk of TMD. The evidence is limited, though, and researchers can't yet say which comes first. If jaw pain and restless nights show up together, mention both to your dentist.

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36316183/

10/07/2026

A 2026 meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials found that oral appliances lowered blood pressure about as well as CPAP and eased daytime sleepiness to a similar degree, and people wore them about 40 minutes longer each night. At the same time, though, CPAP was better at reducing breathing pauses, by about 8 more events per hour. But plenty of people can't tolerate CPAP, and a treatment you'll actually use matters. If that's you, ask us today whether an oral appliance fits your sleep study results, comfort, and health.

Links: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1846726/full

09/22/2026

A recent study found that participants who reported having moderate to severe and/or frequent neck pain in childhood had 85% higher odds of painful TMD in young adulthood compared to those for whom spinal pain hadn’t been an issue.

Check out our blog for more about this research and its significance!

Kids complain about aches and pains all the time. Their neck hurts because they’ve spent too much time hunched over a phone or tablet. Their back hurts because their backpack is too heavy. They’re sore from sports or dance or just being an active kid. Maybe it’s just growing pains. And often, ...

09/15/2026

The moral of the story? Ask questions. Ask about treatment alternatives. Know what you're getting into before leaping into it.

In this case, it was Dysport injections -- similar to Botox and used off-label by some to treat TMJ disorders. (In our own office, we may use Botox when a case proves resistant to other forms of treatment.) l

Access this NYT article here: https://archive.ph/5MW80

09/10/2026

The things that turn up in your feed... 😂

Meet Stressica. Sometimes referred to as the "Tooth Scary" - and while she's 2nd cousin to the actual Tooth Fairy, she's nowhere near as kind or giving. In fact, she's more like the old Bloody Mary urban legend - summoned from anxiety and stress. Grind your teeth a few too many times and "bing!" her...

09/01/2026

Meet your palatopharyngeus muscle -- and other structures involved in snoring and obstructive sleep apnea...

08/29/2026

A meta-analysis pooling 13 studies found that alcohol consumption before bed measurably worsens sleep apnea, increasing the apnea-hypopnea index by nearly 4 events per hour on average and lowering oxygen saturation during sleep.

The mechanism is straightforward: Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the throat -- the same ones involved with airway collapse in people with OSA, making the airway even more likely to narrow overnight.

If you already have sleep apnea, the hours before bed matter as much as anything happening in the bedroom itself.

More info here:

Alcohol consumption was found to contribute to the lowest oxygen saturation observed among patients at risk of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, with additional associations linked to worsening severity of snoring and impaired sleep architecture in select groups, according to study findings.

08/27/2026