Link between Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Chronic Disease

Link between Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Chronic Disease

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Welcome to another episode of More Than Teeth Podcast with Dr. Michael Bennett. With a background in dentistry and a clinical focus on airway, sleep disorders, and chronic pain, Dr. Bennett invites listeners to consider a compelling question: If you could discover a method to activate the body’s natural healing powers—to prevent or fight the chronic illnesses that affect your family—would you pursue it?

As this episode unfolds, Dr. Bennett explains how sleep—especially oxygen-rich, undisturbed sleep—is the gateway to healing. The episode draws important connections between intermittent hypoxia (periods of low oxygen during sleep), chronic illness, and premature aging. Through this lens, sleep becomes not merely a passive state, but a critical physiological process.

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Breathing and the Burden of Chronic Disease

As Dr. Bennett encourages listeners to reflect on their family histories—be it heart disease, cancer, or diabetes—he emphasizes a shared, preventable link: poor sleep quality, often rooted in impaired nighttime breathing. Drawing from the medical reference Intermittent Hypoxia and Human Diseases (Springer), he outlines how inadequate oxygenation during sleep contributes directly to the top causes of death in the U.S., including:

• Heart disease: Intermittent hypoxia increases LDL cholesterol and accelerates plaque buildup in arteries, leading to atherosclerosis.
  
  
• Cancer: Sleep-disordered breathing causes lower blood pH (acidosis), which in turn can trigger oncogenes—mutated genes that initiate cancer.
  
  
• Unintentional injuries: Fatigue-induced accidents, such as drowsy driving or household mishaps, often stem from insufficient restorative sleep.
  
  
• Stroke: People with untreated sleep apnea are up to five times more likely to suffer a stroke.
  
  
• Alzheimer’s disease: Chronic oxygen deprivation shrinks the brain’s gray matter and cortex, as seen in cases like Dr. Bennett’s own father, who experienced premature cognitive decline linked to a condition called watershed ischemia.
  
  

Other prevalent diseases influenced by sleep-disordered breathing include:

• Diabetes: Low oxygen levels and sleep fragmentation exacerbate insulin resistance and systemic inflammation.
  
  
• Respiratory diseases: Inadequate sleep compromises immune function, increasing susceptibility to infections like influenza and pneumonia.
  
  
• Suicide and mental health conditions: Chronic sleep loss heightens the risk of depression, emotional instability, and the use of anti-anxiety medications.
  
  

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Rethinking Snoring and the Real Risks of Sleep Apnea

Snoring is more than an annoyance—it is often a marker of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that disrupts airflow during sleep. According to several studies, as many as 90% of loud snorers may suffer from undiagnosed OSA.

Snoring indicates that the airway is restricted. Over time, this restriction not only interrupts sleep cycles but increases vulnerability to cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological diseases. As Dr. Bennett emphasizes, ignoring snoring is ignoring a potential emergency signal from the body.

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Treatment Options: From CPAP to Oral Appliances

Modern medicine offers a range of interventions for sleep-breathing disorders. The most common treatments include:

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1. CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)

Often prescribed for moderate to severe sleep apnea, CPAP machines use pressurized air to keep airways open. While lifesaving in emergencies, long-term use may result in muscle disuse in the natural breathing apparatus. Although no definitive studies confirm this, Dr. Bennett raises the concern that reliance on CPAP could cause the body to weaken its own respiratory muscles over time.

Moreover, compliance rates are low—with up to 60% of patients discontinuing use within a year due to discomfort or inconvenience.

2. Oral Mandibular Advancement Devices

These custom-fitted devices, provided by trained dentists, reposition the lower jaw to expand the airway. They are particularly effective for mild to moderate cases and are recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Many patients report improved mood, reduced medication reliance, and better daily functioning.

However, long-term use can alter bite alignment and impair chewing function, often creating dissatisfaction despite clinical success. A 2017 study of long-term users found that sleep apnea severity actually worsened in some, suggesting that such devices, while helpful, are not always permanent solutions.

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Biomimetic Therapy: A New Approach to Lasting Results

Dr. Bennett introduces a promising, evidence-based solution: Biomimetic Appliance Therapy. This approach uses a retainer-like oral device to gently stimulate facial bone growth by activating the body's own stem cells within the jaw sutures and tooth sockets.

The treatment requires wearing the device about 12 hours a day (including sleep time) over a 6–18 month period. The results are profound:

• Expansion of the upper and lower jaws
  
  
• Increased nasal and throat airway space
  
  
• Improved, permanent breathing capacity
  
  

Unlike CPAP or standard oral appliances, biomimetic therapy doesn’t just manage symptoms—it corrects structural limitations that cause breathing disruptions in the first place.

This non-invasive technique is effective for both adults and children and has become a central component of Dr. Bennett’s clinical practice. He works closely with a multi-disciplinary team of physicians, ENT specialists, and counselors to ensure that all aspects of the patient’s health—physical and emotional—are addressed.

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Comprehensive Care and the Path to Healing

Dr. Bennett emphasizes that sleep therapy must be holistic. In many cases, the underlying contributors to poor sleep include not just anatomical issues, but also dietary inflammation, trauma, and unresolved emotional stress. Foods such as dairy, eggs, and processed snacks are common triggers for nasal congestion and should be avoided where possible.

Additionally, emotional factors—like past trauma—can raise cortisol and adrenaline levels, keeping the brain in a state of alertness that inhibits deep sleep. Dr. Bennett routinely refers patients to counselors and other specialists to ensure every factor impeding sleep is addressed.

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There Is Hope

The podcast closes with a powerful message: hope exists for those suffering from chronic fatigue, snoring, pain, and other health conditions linked to poor sleep. Through emerging therapies, interdisciplinary care, and awareness, patients can finally experience the deep, restorative sleep that activates the body’s healing systems.

Dr. Bennett invites listeners to reach out through his website for guidance and resources. Future episodes will explore individual diseases in more detail and introduce more tools to help patients reclaim their health through sleep.

Stay tuned to discover how you can unleash the healing power of sleep—for yourself, your children, and generations to come.

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