A lot of work is being done at research facilities around the country to help snorers and sufferers from sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing passages close up during sleep.

Some centers for sleep disorders have recently developed devices to keep airways open at night for easier breathing. They range in complexity from small, custom-designed mouthpieces to blower devices that deliver air through a mask the sleeper wears.

If you snore or you or your spouse think that you might have sleep apnea,

talk to us about these options. We'll see what we can do to make sure that you -- and your loved ones -- get a good night's sleep again.

No, ultrasonic cleaning equipment doesn't break the sound barrier while you're sitting in the dentist's chair.

An ultrasonic cleaner is a special dental instrument that we use to scale and clean the surfaces of your teeth thoroughly. Here's how it works. We place the instrument, which vibrates thousands of times per second, on surfaces of your teeth where plaque and tartar usually build up. As its tip vibrates it efficiently and thoroughly removes calculus. The instrument

also sprays water to keep the tip cool and wash microscopic debris away.

How does it benefit our patients? Quite simply, ultrasonic cleaning is fast and reduces wear on the enamel of your teeth. Research has shown that for certain patients, a combination of hand scaling and ultrasonic cleaning is more effective than hand scaling alone.

Ultrasonic cleaning is available at our practice. If you have any questions we'd be happy to explain the procedure before we clean your teeth.