sleep apnea

Sleep Apnea And Double Jaw Advancement

March 20th, 2019

IF YOU ARE presently sleeping with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or wearing a custom oral appliance for sleep apnea, a permanent double jaw advancement may cure you of your sleep symptoms.

Jaw Advancement Can Cure Sleep Apnea

A double jaw advancement, called bimaxillary orthognathic surgery, can cure sleep apnea. This treatment will be done by an oral surgeon working with your orthodontist and your sleep team. The cost of this procedure is covered by medical insurance.

The expanded airway no longer collapses during sleep, and because it is no longer obstructed, breathing can continue without interruption. This patient can now get a good night’s sleep without additional machines or devices. Snoring is eliminated and sleep is normal.

This patient was treated by orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, CA. Find us at www.clubbraces.com. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

“I never dreamed I would sleep so well. Thank you Dr. Gorczyca and team!”
–Mario

This patient was cured of all severe sleep apnea symptoms. You can be too. Wishing you a good night’s sleep.

Gorczyca Orthodontics In Antioch, California

July 11th, 2018


GORCZYCA ORTHODONTICS IS located in the Deer Valley Dental Professionals Building, at 5201 Deer Valley Road, in Antioch, California, right next to Deer Valley High School.

Where To Find Us

From Highway 4, take the Hillcrest Exit and continue right until you cross Lone Tree Way. After crossing Lone Tree Way, take the second entrance on the left at the Miranda stop light. Turn left and proceed right to the square, three-story building nextdoor to the Antioch Veterinary Hospital. Gorczyca Orthodontics is located on the first floor, right at the main entrance.

Our centralized location and easy Highway 4 access makes us easily accessible to serving all of East Contra Costa County including Antioch, Oakley, Brentwood, Pittsburg, Discovery Bay, Concord, and Rio Vista. We are a one-doctor, one-location orthodontic practice, so you will always find us here, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

About Gorczcya Orthodontics

We offer all orthodontic services, including all types of braces, Phase I, Phase II, Comprehensive, and Invisalgin treatment, clear aligners, Inman retainers, short term braces, retainers, splints, night guards, mouth guards, as well as orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery) and TMD (TMJ) and sleep apnea treatment.

We have patients throughout the Bay area. Because we offer exceptional specialty services in the area of orthognathic surgery, many patients drive several hours to receive treatment in our office. We also work very closely with other dental specialists in providing Interdisciplinary Adult Orthodontic Treatment, which may need implants, periodontal therapy, or crowns, veneers, or bridges. We provide diagnostic wax-ups of comprehensive cases and help coordinate your overall treatment with other dental providers.

Dr. Gorczyca

Our orthodontist, Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca, is a board certified orthodontist with 30 years of experience. She has personally treated over 10,000 successful cases. She is a frequent orthodontic lecturer at both the University of the Pacific Dental School, UCSF and the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Sessions, and is a member of the Angle Society, Delta Study Club (Seattle Study Club), and Contra Costa Dental Society.

Come See Us For Your Free Consultation!

We welcome you to visit our office for a free orthodontic consultation. Call us at 925-757-9000. It would be our pleasure to serve you. Learn more about us at www.clubbraces.com.

Thank you for choosing Gorczyca Orthodontics. Your smile is our inspiration.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

How Your Orthodontist Can Help With Sleep Apnea

March 10th, 2016

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.

Four Things Moms Need to Check in Their Four Year Old’s Bite

January 14th, 2016

WHEN YOUR FOUR-YEAR-OLD says “Cheese!” at her birthday party, take time to notice if her bite is right.

Most children see a pediatric dentist by age two. By age four, your child may be referred to an orthodontist for severe tooth and bite problems.

There are four childhood conditions treated by an orthodontist as early as age four.

1. Crowded Baby Teeth

Baby teeth should have spacing between them. Overlapped baby teeth are a sign of severe crowding. The permanent front teeth are larger than the baby teeth they replace and need adequate space.

2. Crossbite of Baby Teeth

Crossbite occurs when upper teeth fit inside the lower teeth. If your four year old is experiencing difficulty chewing or bites her cheeks, she may have a crossbite. A crossbite can cause grinding and wearing down of baby teeth. Long term, a crossbite will create an abnormal growth pattern.

3. Lower Jaw Shift with Baby Teeth

Baby teeth out of position can create interference tooth hitting and produce a lower jaw shift. Tooth interference with jaw shifting will wear down teeth and create an abnormal growth pattern.

4. Narrow Upper Jaw with Baby Teeth

A narrow upper jaw indicates narrow nasal passages. This can create open-mouth breathing and sleep problems. Lack of sleep can significantly contribute to difficulty learning at school.

Correction of these early bite problems is of great health benefit to your four year old child. Early treatment by an orthodontist will minimize the need for more extensive orthodontic treatment at a later age.

To Find An Orthodontist Near You...

To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at mylifemysmile.org. To find a pediatric dentist nearby, you can visit the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) at mychildrensteeth.org.

This patient was treated by Orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca of Gorczyca Orthodontics, in Antioch, California. For a free consultation call (925) 757-9000.

Make sure your child’s bite is healthy when saying “Cheese!” and that she enjoys eating her birthday cake at age four, or any age.

Sleep Apnea in Children: The Osseous Distraction Cure

November 18th, 2015

DOES YOUR CHILD have loud snoring and multiple pauses in breathing while asleep? If yes, your child my have sleep apnea caused by airway obstruction during sleeping.

Sleep Apnea Can Be Corrected

Sleep apnea is often caused by a small lower jaw. This cause can be corrected by an orthodontist and an oral surgeon working with your sleep study team to eliminate sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Can Affect Your Whole Day

Sleep disruption leads to daytime sleepiness. Children with sleep apnea may appear drowsy, irritable, or have difficulty staying awake or learning at school. This is a serious medical problem and warrants diagnosis and treatment by a qualified physician and sleep disorder team. A consultation with an orthodontist is critical and a sleep study of an overnight polysomnogram be needed to record the severity and number of sleep apnea episodes.

Osseous distraction, or lengthening of the lower jaw, is often a cure for severe sleep apnea. Ask your orthodontist or oral surgeon about this cure.

Permanent lengthening of the lower jaw will restore proper airway and bite function, make your child look and feel great, and be a cure for sleep apnea.

Your orthodontist and oral surgeon can correct your child's small lower jaw and cure their sleep apnea forever. A custom oral appliance is only for mild to moderate cases and is not a permanent cure. A CPAP machine is cumbersome and difficult to wear, especially for children.

We're Here To Help

This sleep apnea case was cured by orthodontist Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca and the sleep apnea team of Gorczyca Orthodontics in Antioch, CA. Find us at www.clubbraces.com. To find an orthodontist near you, visit the American Association of Orthodontists at www.mylifemysmile.org.

Eliminate your child's sleep apnea. Osseous distraction for mandibular deficiency, small lower jaw, is a permanent cure.

Wishing you and your loved ones a good night's sleep.

More Topics
diplomate american board of orthodontics Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists advanced education in orthdontics
member american association of orthodontists seattle study club american dental association california dental association
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