While our teeth and gums are the well-known focus of dental work, this practice has expanded their care to include further areas of oral health. This blog post centers on one such treatment: laser therapy for snoring and related conditions.
As a common affliction, medicine developed many treatments for snoring. The most recognizable are machine-focused, with devices like the CPAP machine or mouth guard physically manipulating the oral tissue to prevent blockage and snoring. But solutions like these are bulky and uncomfortable and create difficulty when traveling. Medication is also used but the chemical composition can have adverse side effects. The final, more permanent solution involves surgery. Jaw repositioning and septoplasty, which straightens the soft tissue of the nose, are two common ones. But these surgeries require anesthesia and careful recovery, alongside potentially producing facial scarring. Many people affected by snoring choose to live untreated, unwilling to deal with the side effects of any particular treatment. Utilizing PBM lasers and red-light therapy, there are new treatment options available. Such non-invasive treatment has been developed by Fontona and is called NightLase.
Treatment occurs in two stages. Stage one consists of a preconditioning of the tissue by gentle heating, to ease tension and induce greater cell pliability. The second stage is tissue strengthening, where a more intense laser light is applied to the tissue. The strengthening produced by the laser contracts the soft tissue in the mouth, preventing blockage and snoring. The laser used in the stages remains at the ideal strength to prevent painful damage while also producing an effective heat level.
The Fontana laser system works using an ErYAG and NdYAG modality which optimizes the length of the laser waves in each pulse. ErYAG stands for erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser and NdYAG stands for neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet, with each named for the garnet used in the laser head to control and produce the infrared light and the different substances that modulate the light’s transmission. The combination of these laser wavelengths is unique to Fontona NightLase, as most competing systems only use one laser and one wavelength variety. The dual laser application allows for a wider range of treatments with more effective results. This style of laser is also utilized in the diminishing of wrinkles, dark spots and acne.
The initial treatment requires three to five visits, each being three weeks apart. While results are not permanent, they often last a year or more and treatment is repeatable.
This practice offers NightLase treatment. Call now at 484-887-0777 to schedule an appointment and start your journey toward relief!
Works Cited
NightLase® Snoring and Apnea Treatment. Fontona. Fontona, www.fotona.com/media/documents/aesthetics/89806_nightlase_snoring_and_apnea_treatment_leaflet_v2_web.pdf.
“Sleep Apnea.” Cleveland Clinic, 15 Jan. 2024, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8718-sleep-apnea.