Hi, Dr. Dayanayev from Steinway Family Dental Center. We get a lot of questions about sleep and Solea, and what is it, and what's the difference. So today, we're going to answer some of the most common questions on this topic.
What is this Solea for snoring?
Solea is the name of the company that manufactures lasers, and it is one of the most advanced lasers. If you've ever been to a hospital and seen the big lasers that they use for procedures, that is the same idea that we have in dentistry, and the only company that has that name is Solea.
Now, what do they do with snoring? Snoring can be detrimental to the partners or to the life of a family. If you have a girlfriend or a partner that's sleeping with you and you're sharing a bedroom with that person, then that might be very uncomfortable for both of you. First of all, you're not getting enough oxygen if you're snoring, and your partner also cannot sleep at night, so you don't get enough rest. Solea has a procedure that helps with that.
How does the Solea treatment treat snoring?
First, we have to look at why people snore. People snore because, over time, the skin gets a little saggy, kind of floating down. The same thing happens to the palate. There is a soft palate that we have in the back—hard palate first, then there is a soft palate—and the soft palate gets saggy and floats down a little too far. The airway gets less opening, and because it's soft, when we breathe, it flops in the air and creates a snore sound. That's one of the reasons why people snore.
The Solea uses a laser to hit the collagen underneath the gum there, shrinking the collagen and therefore shrinking the palate back to its normal position. It becomes less floppy, allowing people to get more air and snore less, thus bothering their partners less.
Is the Solea treatment effective for snoring?
The answer is yes, it is very effective. We have to separate things: if it is for snoring, then yes, it is very effective. Most people measure the noise that they make or how much they snore, how loud they snore, and how long they snore for before they start the treatment. After the treatment, they continue measuring and see a significant reduction in the duration and time that they snore or how much they snore. Does it cancel your snoring completely? In some cases, it does. In some cases, you still snore but a lot less.
How long does the Solea snoring treatment take?
We usually schedule you for about half an hour, but most of this is going to be a conversation and getting you prepared for that. In reality, the treatment itself takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
Is the Solea treatment for snoring painful?
It is not painful at all. First of all, we use a special numbing agent; you just spray it, and there are no injections, so it's a topical anesthetic. You wait a few minutes, and then we use Solea with the laser. What happens afterward is that, first of all, you get a lot more air into you, and you feel like you finally can breathe and feel so much more confident because of that. You feel like you're up in the air, right? That's what most of my patients tell me: "Oh, this feels so much better, I feel so much more energy," and they do that right away. As soon as they're done, they report that.
As far as pain goes, they feel like their throat is a little bit scratchy for the next maybe 24 to 48 hours, but it's not to the point where they have to take any medicine. It's just slight discomfort; it feels like you're about to come down with something, but you never will. That's pretty much it. Again, it's not really painful, you don't need medication for that, you just feel like your throat is a little scratchy, that's it.
How many sessions are needed for Solea sleep treatment?
It depends on where you're starting. It depends on your anatomy. If in your anatomy your palate is sagging a lot, then you would need two treatments about four weeks apart. If it's not that bad yet, then one treatment is enough. I would say about 50% of the population only need one treatment; there is still 50% that would need two sessions, and after two sessions, you're good.
What are the benefits of using Solea treatment for snoring?
The benefits are that there are very painful treatments for uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, where a surgeon performs a real surgery and they put you under so you're asleep, and then they would cut some of the uvula so it's not that long, and they would reshape your soft palate so it's not sagging as far. That is very painful; there is a very bad recovery with that, long and uncomfortable. With Solea, all it is is just a little scratchy, there is no downtime at all, and it takes 10 to 15 minutes altogether, and you're done. It is so much more comfortable. This is the new way. The difference is really the same as the difference we have with cell phones today and 20 years ago when you had to be plugged into the wall just to talk to somebody. Today, you can even see them, and you don't have to be plugged in; you could be in the middle of the street talking to somebody across the world. That is the difference, and it's the same difference with Solea sleep versus that painful procedure with the surgeon that would cut the uvula.
Are there any risks or side effects of Solea treatment?
I wouldn't call it a risk. The side effects, like I said, are that you're going to feel your throat scratchy for 24 to 48 hours. Does everybody feel that? No, but this is the side effect of it. It's like sitting under the sun; you get a little bit of a sunburn and feel a little itchy, that's pretty much it, only with your throat. But it's not as bad as it would be if you just burned your skin and needed to put something over it, so no, you don't need to do anything.
How soon can I expect results from the Solea treatment for snoring?
You can expect results the same day.
Is Solea treatment for snoring permanent?
The answer is it is not permanent. You're supposed to get re-evaluated every year. The recommendation is that you repeat the procedure as soon as you need it. Based on what I have seen, people do not need to redo it for three years.
Who is a good candidate for Solea sleep treatment?
If you are snoring, obviously if you sleep alone in the room you would not know whether you are or you're not, but if you have any people with you in the room, then of course they would tell you that. I would say, how can you tell if you're snoring? If you wake up and you're still tired, that's one of the signs that you haven't been getting fully rested when you sleep, and that could be because you were snoring and you don't get enough air into your lungs and therefore into your body to operate optimally. That would be an indication.
Number two, if you are overweight slightly or a lot, then yes, you most likely are snoring. How can you tell? If your neck is bigger than 15 and 3/4, you most likely are snoring at night. Of course, you can ask your loved ones, people that sleep with you, or you can download an application on your phone. It's called Snab; it is a free application. No, I just recommend it to you, but I don't get affiliated with them, and there's no payment for me or for them, so it doesn't matter. You can use the free portion of it, it's good for 30 days, and you can record yourself. It will give you a score, and on that score, you can see how bad your snoring is. Then you are the candidate for it. Also, if you open your mouth and you can see your tonsils, most likely you are snoring and would need to get Solea sleep.
How much does Solea treatment for snoring cost?
It depends on how many times you need it. Usually, one treatment is $500, but if you need it more than once, your next treatment is going to be less expensive. The second treatment is $1,200, so that's how much it costs.
Is Solea treatment for snoring covered by insurance?
The answer is not that I came across. There's no insurance that would cover that yet.
Can the Solea treatment for snoring be used for other sleeping disorders or issues?
I would say it is specifically for that. For example, if you have sleep apnea, can the Solea sleep treatment be used for that? It could, but it would not cure your sleep apnea because the difference is when you're snoring there is the opening for your air, it's smaller so it's more difficult for you to breathe versus sleep apnea is when you're just not breathing. Of course, it will improve because it's easier to pull air into your lungs when you use Solea sleep. It opens up your airways, so it's easier for you to sleep with that, but it would not cure it or stop you from stopping breathing. This is a completely different issue than sleep apnea.
I hope I have been able to shed some light on this subject. If you have any further questions or want to see what it would take for you to stop snoring, you can visit us at the office. You can give us a call at (718) 728-3314 or visit us online on alldentalneeds.com and request an appointment. Somebody will get back to you, we'll schedule you to come in, and I will personally take care of you so you can see how it's done.