Dental Practitioners
As a General Dental Practitioner or Specialist, you have a great potential for helping people with their sleeping problems. With an estimated 30% of adults snoring, and increasing to 60% over the age of 60, there will be patients that you see everyday who could greatly benefit from the Somnowell. However, research shows that only 7% of people would think to ask their dentist for help.
Dr Tom Mackay, an expert in sleep disorders, at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh says he is facing a “tidal wave” of cases. He says “We are reaching capacity in terms of what we can cope with, and there is an undoubted link with people’s weight.”.
Undoubtedly you will also see patients who suffer from jaw pain and teeth grinding, clinically known as TMD and bruxism.
Furthermore, if you are involved in any type of orthodontics, you will understand the importance of long-term retention.
The Somnowell
The Somnowell Mandibular Advancement Appliance is an extremely comfortable and effective long-term solution in the professional management of snoring, obstructive sleep apnoea, TMD, and bruxism. Furthermore, the Somnowell Retainers are the first lifetime solution for orthodontic retention.
Testimonial
"When I consulted a colleague and expert in sleep medicine concerning my persistent fatigue and inability to concentrate I was not amused to hear he considered I needed to use a mandibular advancement device. Using the Somnowell system was not only straightforward but also life-transforming, enabling me to sleep soundly and to awake refreshed and ready for work for the first time in years."
A Professor of Medicine, London
Inventor
The inventor is Dr Simon Ash, a Consultant and Specialist Orthodontist who specialises in sleep related breathing disorders. Dr Ash practices in London and receives referrals from Consultants in Chest Medicine, such as Professor Michael Roberts, Professor Michael Polkey, Dr Simon Quantrill, and Dr M D Darmalingam. He also receives referrals from a number of ENT Consultants, notably Mr Mike Dilkes, Mr Mike Papesch, and Mr Abir Bhattacharyya.
He has successfully treated hundreds of patients, including royalty, celebrities, professors, and many medical professionals.
How it Works
The Somnowell gently holds the lower jaw forward and maintains an open airway whilst the patient sleeps. It has a titratable Herbst device on the left and right hand side of the chrome cobalt framework. This can be adjusted for maximum patient comfort and effectiveness.
Results
98% of patients report successful treatment. 83% report improved quality sleep. 51% report improved energy levels. 40% report improved concentration.
Advantages
Plastic devices tend to be bulky and uncomfortable, and can quickly become smelly and unsightly. Plastic devices by their very nature require regular replacement, typically within 12-18 months.
Because the Somnowell is made from chrome cobalt it is small and discreet. It is significantly less bulky than other mandibular advancement devices currently available, making it very comfortable for the patient to wear. This improved comfort has led to excellent patient compliance. The chrome cobalt is highly impervious to oral flora and is therefore more hygienic.
Clinical Overview
To make a Somnowell device a dental practitioner needs to send us silicone impressions of the upper and lower teeth, a forward postured bite, and a facebow recording. Dr Ash personally oversees the checking of each patient’s records, and the design of each device. The Somnowell is manufactured in our laboratories and then dispatched to the dental practitioner for fitting.
Each Somnowell device is supplied with a 5 year guarantee against manufacturing defects.
Referrals
We are building a network of related health professionals that want to work with the Somnowell device, and that may be interested in accepting referrals for assessment, diagnosis, or treatment.
This network includes Consultant Orthodontists, Consultants in Dental Specialities, Dental Specialists, and General Dental Practitioners with special interests. Crucially it also includes Academics and Consultants from Sleep Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, ENT, and perhaps most importantly it also includes General Medical Practitioners.
We believe that it is critically important for the clinicians to be part of multi-disciplinary teams, and should not work in isolation. Often patients require a definitive diagnosis by the appropriate specialist, and may on occasion require an alternative treatment. Each member of our network is therefore provided with the details of their locally based specialists or practitioners that are interested in working with the Somnowell device and accepting referrals. Our goal is to promote the development of successful multi-disciplinary teams.
We also market the Somnowell directly to patients. When we receive patient enquiries via our website or by telephone, we then give the prospective patient the details of the most appropriate locally based practitioner or specialist.
Next Step
If you would like to work with the Somnowell, and may be interested in receiving referrals, then please respond to our invitation or get in contact using the enquiry form below.