1505 Chapel Hill Rd, Columbia
8:00am – 4:30pm (Mon-Thurs)
Phone & Fax: (573) 303-5501
At Bohon Sleep we treat sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea, TMJ and snoring. When sleeping disorders are treated properly, you (and your partner) can sleep through the night and wake up rested. Your good night’s sleep is no longer a dream, it’s reality!
Your snoring could be more than an innocent annoyance. Ensure your heath and safety with us. We offer many treatment options depending on the severity of your condition.
Reoccurring headaches, achy face muscles, lower and upper back pain, or popping in your jaw may be a serious problem. Learn more about TMD & TMJ with us.
If your sleep is robbing your neighbors of theirs, we can help reduce the volume.
Bohon Sleep accepts all major Medical Insurance. We will file primary and secondary insurance on your behalf. We do not file dental claims. We accept most major credit cards and offer several in-house payment plans.
Our outstanding team is lead by Dr. Richard S Bohon, DDS. He has been practicing dentistry in Columbia, Missouri since 1978. After learning the health risks associated with untreated sleep apnea he received training on treating snoring, sleep apnea, and TMD with oral appliance therapy.
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is a scale intended to measure daytime sleepiness that is measured by use of a very short questionnaire. This can be helpful in diagnosing sleep disorders.
Sleep apnea literally means “without breath”.
During sleep apnea oxygen levels drop. Carbon dioxide levels build. If this happened only occasionally, it might not be as alarming and detrimental to your health. But the reality for some individuals is that it can, and does happen, hundreds of times per night, making it hard to get any sleep at all.
Untreated sleep apnea can make you more likely to suffer illness or injury. It has been linked to obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even death. While you are sleeping, how do you know if this is happening to you?
Apneas can last from 10 seconds to a minute or longer and can occur hundreds of times per night.
The body’s oxygen level drops and the blood pressure rises. The heart is forced to beat faster, causing the pulse rate to increase. The brain may cause the arms, legs, or whole body to jerk in an attempt to wake the sleeper so breathing will resume. The silence may end with a loud snort, cough, or gasp. This causes the sleeper to wake briefly and begin breathing. Once asleep again the muscles relax and the airway becomes blocked, cutting off the airway. The serious and life threatening problems start when sleepers begin experiencing apneas, where breathing stops, and hypopneas, where breathing is shallow due to an obstruction. Breathing is usually blocked in the back of the throat because:
THE TONGUE AND MUSCLES RELAX DURING SLEEP.
THE LOWER JAW FALLS BACK TOWARD THE THROAT.
THE AIRWAY BECOMES BLOCKED.
If you’re experiencing frequent headaches, back and neck pain, dull aching facial pain, or popping in your jaw, you are not alone.
If your natural teeth don’t fit together properly, your muscles may accommodate, forcing the jaw to close on a path that stresses and fatigues the muscles over time. So much of what we use these muscles for is done subconsciously. For example, we bring our teeth together thousands of times a day just to swallow. Clenching or grinding exacerbates the symptoms and can cause muscle spasms. If your bite is out of alignment, the constant strain of the muscles can also pull the disc that cushions the jaw joint out of position. If this happens, the bones of the jaw joint can rub against each other and the nerves, causing pain and damaging the joint. Other conditions that can affect the health of the TMJ include trauma, disease, nutritional deficiencies, and infections.
Permanent stabilization may be necessary. Options may include wearing a long term orthotic, providing orthodontic treatment, placing crowns or veneers on the affected teeth, or creating a neuromuscular denture. With the techniques and technologies of neuromuscular dentistry, we can help achieve a healthier bite and more comfortable muscles and jaw joints. In a harmonious, comfortable bite, the teeth, jaw joints, and muscles can work together without strain or tension.
if your sleep is robbing your neighbors of theirs, we can help reduce the volume.
Start your path to a better night’s sleep by getting your sleep score. Your sleep score provides critical information to properly diagnose & treat our patients.