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IN HONOR OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY, the Team at Gorczyca Orthodontics would like to wish you and your family excellent dental health. It is an honor and a privilege for us to treat you and take care of you and your family's orthodontic needs. Thank you for choosing Gorczya Orthodontics.

So as the rains fall softly upon our Northern California hills and fields until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Irish Dental Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
and may your teeth be free of plaque.

Gorczyca Orthodontics, 5201 Deer Valley Road, Suite 1A, Antioch, Caifornia 94531, (925) 757-9000, www.clubbraces.com.

FEELING A BIT TIRED at times during the day is completely normal, even with a good night’s sleep. Some people, however, struggle every night for a restful sleep, especially those with sleep apnea.

Did you know that one in five adults has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with 80 percent of cases going undiagnosed? This condition can disrupt your sleep and increase your risk of severe health problems.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea occurs when your muscles relax during sleep, allowing soft tissue to collapse and block the airway. This can cause a person to stop breathing hundreds of times per night, immensely disrupting their sleep. Here are some indications of a problem:

• Morning headaches
• Excessive daytime drowsiness
• Irritability
• Impaired mental or emotional functioning
• Insomnia
• Excessive snoring, choking or gasping during sleep
• Awakening with dry mouth or sore throat

We Can Help

Dentists and orthodontists are often the first professionals to become aware of a potential case of OSA and many are specially trained for the treatment of sleep apnea. We are just such a practice!

Our office will refer you to a sleep center for a polysomnogram which is the only diagnostic test for sleep apnea.

Should you be found have a severe sleep apnea problem, this can often be cured by double jaw advancement. Dr. Gorczyca and the team at Gorczyca Orthodontics will work with your sleep center and orthognathic surgeons from Oakland Kaiser, Stanford, or UCSF Maxillofacial Oral Surgery departments to find the sleep apnea cure is right for you.

Oral Appliance Therapy

While the most common treatment for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliance therapy that dental professionals provide is the increasingly preferred form of treatment. This is due to the high rejection rate of CPAP therapy and the fact that oral appliances are much more convenient, portable, and easy to care for.

Oral appliance therapy uses a mouth guard-like device to maintain an open, unobstructed airway while you sleep. They are typically as easy to wear as most retainers. There are two ways the oral appliance works to open up your airway:

1. By repositioning your lower jaw, it keeps your throat muscles engaged as you sleep, preventing them from collapsing.
2. Oral appliances can also move your tongue forward, keeping it from falling back and blocking the throat.

Don’t Ignore Sleep Apnea

Never underestimate the power of a good night’s rest! The quality of your sleep is extremely important to your overall health and well-being. Ask us today how you can better your life by treating sleep apnea through oral appliance therapy!

Call us at (925)757-9000 if you need more information about methods to reduce you sleep apnea.

Top image by Flickr user Marcelo Braga used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

PARKING ON THE LINE is off course. A missing tooth creates a similar tooth parking problem. A missing tooth causes your remaining teeth fill the extra space. Teeth drift and lean into the space over time. Slowly your bite collapses.

A Missing Tooth Can Cause Misalignment

Midlines are off when there is a missing tooth. The upper and lower arch midlines no longer match up. The entire bite becomes asymmetrical. Tooth tips (cusps) meet tip to tip causing them to wear down. Tooth wear creates tooth sensitivity.

If you have a missing tooth, get your bite fixed with orthodontic treatment as soon as possible.

Your Orthodontist Can Help

Your orthodontist will either rearrange your remaining teeth or prepare you for future tooth replacement with an implant or a bridge to create a healthy and functional bite.

We Care About Your Smile

This case was treated by Board Certified Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Gorcyzca Orthodontics, Antioch, CA. Call us at (925) 757-9000. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Don't let a missing tooth make your teeth park on the line. Line up your teeth for a healthy bite.

Top image by Flickr user Stephen Yeargin used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a princess named Veronica. She did not look like a real princess because her face made her look sad. Quiet and thoughtful, the smile of her eyes, gums, and teeth did not express the happiness in her heart.

One Day There Was A Terrible Storm...

One day there was a terrible storm. There was thunder and lightning, and rain poured down in torrents. To come in from the cold, the princess knocked on the door of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, California.

An Old Queen came to the door and looked at the princess. “Good gracious!” said the Queen. “You are under the spell of vertical maxillary excess giving you ‘Adenoid Facies’. This makes you look sad by:

1. Showing the whites of your eyes under your pupils
2. Pulling down the smile muscles of your cheeks
3. Separating your lips at rest
4. Allowing your teeth to protrude
5. Giving your chin a puckered ‘golf ball’ appearance”

Orthodontic Treatment Is A Fast And Permanent Solution

A Wizard had told the princess she could be saved by a lifetime of Botox needle shots to her upper lip. “Hogwash!” said the Queen. “This will not help you! We need a fast and permanent solution by an orthodontist. Let us be happy and fix this forever. Your prince will be here soon!”

A Young Prince Arrived...

Soon the Princess’s teeth were straight, and she was smiling ear to ear. A young prince arrived to Antioch, California from Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco, Mexico. He looked at Veronica and said “You are dear to me. By the smile on your happy face, I can see that you have the best heart and that you are a real princess. I will marry you!”

So the prince and princess were married. Nothing made the Queen happier than to see the prince and princess happy and thriving. They soon had four children. And, they all lived happily ever after.

This Is A True Story!

This is a true story. Veronica is now Treatment Coordinator at Gorczyca Orthodontics and her orthodontic treatment was done by Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, Gorczyca Orthodontics, in Antioch, California.

To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

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