A Sleepy Market Wakes Up: Tapping Into Oral Appliance Therapy
Posted Apr 28, 2011 in Management
As obstructive sleep apnea becomes a more commonly diagnosed disorder, the demand for oral appliance therapy is on the rise, creating a niche market for laboratories. LMT takes a look at this blossoming field.
Five years ago, Alan Barnes, a dental laboratory consultant, couldn't make it through an entire movie without falling asleep, drive home without having to pull over and take a nap, or even attend a dinner party without drifting off at the host's house. In addition to his severe exhaustion, he was battling weight gain, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and a sore throat due to excessive snoring.
After nearly 10 years of stumping doctors, Gene Rogers, Professional Dental Laboratory Corp., Elkhart, Indiana who hosts seminars on oral appliance therapy for treating sleep conditions——urged him to see a pulmonologist. He did, and after taking a simple sleep test, Barnes was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea* (OSA), a common...
