Procedures and Oral Appliance Therapy

What is Oral Appliance Therapy

In Charleston, SC, Bradley Nirenblatt D.M.D., PA offers Oral Appliance Therapy for Sleep Apnea.
In Charleston, SC, Alan Barbieri, DDS, MS offers Oral Appliance Therapy for Sleep Apnea.
Dr. Alan Barbieri is a Board Certified Orthodontist and is a member of the American Society of Dental Sleep Medicine. He has a Masters Degree in Orthodontics from the Fairleigh Dickinson Graduate School of Orthodontics. Dr. Barbieri had the privilege and honor to serve our soldiers and their families stationed in Germany, where he assisted soldiers with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and, for his service, he received a Letter of Endorsement from the Chief of Sleep Medicine at the Army Hospital. Dr Barbieri had a distinguished career in private practice, right here in the Charleston area.  He was a proud member of Rotary serving as Club President and was a Paul Harris Fellow.
Orthodontics is more than just straightening teeth, we also have the training, skills and tools to treat sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is considered a serious medical problem and if left untreated it can lead to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart failure and stroke.

How is sleep apnea treated in our office? Treatments for sleep apnea depend on the severity of each individual case, and the type of apnea. Basic treatment can be behavioral — for instance, patients are instructed to lose weight, stop smoking, or sleep on their sides instead of on their backs. Many primary care doctors prescribe a CPAP Machine which is effective but requires significant cooperation to wear while sleeping. As a less invasive alternative, dental devices can be used to position the mouth in such a way that prevents throat blockage. These devices are almost identical to the devices that orthodontists use to correct malocclusions so we are very familiar with them. I have tested several devices in my office and have found the Narval Dental Device to be extremely comfortable for patients. In fact, I wear the Narval myself at night and my wife appreciates it! In more severe cases, surgery may be the best option.

After graduating from Porter Gaud High School in Charleston, I attended college at Tulane University in New Orleans and Boston University in Massachusetts. My dental school training was next and I completed it here in Charleston at the Medical University of South Carolina, where I graduated in the top ten of my class with my DMD degree in 1989. I was then accepted into Columbia University in New York City where I received my specialty training in orthodontics, graduating in 1991. After Columbia University, I returned home and began creating new smiles!
 
I was raised in Charleston, SC, and have enjoyed raising my family and building my practice in the community where I grew up. My wife, Cynthia, and I have two children, Ellen and Daniel, two dogs, Pumpkin and Sugar and chickens. My passions outside of orthodontics are traveling with my family, photography, music, running and playing the guitar.
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In Hilton Head and Beaufort, Frank Barbieri, DDS has 2 locations which offer Oral Appliance Therapy for Sleep Apnea.
Dr. Barbieri received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Georgetown University School of Dentistry. Upon completion of his tour in the US Naval Dental Corps, he returned to Fairleigh Dickinson University earning a post-doctoral MS in Orthodontics. He remained at FDU as a research advisor to the orthodontic students. In addition he served as a product development consultant for 3M's Unitek Corp. He has published in both public and profession periodicals. Dr. Barbieri has given numerous clinical presentations both on the regional and national level. He was a contributor to the audio-visual library of the American Association of Orthodontists and has conducted numerous seminars for both the general public and the profession. He was a Rotarian for 35 years, serving as President twice.