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What is NightLase Therapy?
NightLase® is a dental laser treatment that reduces snoring by heating and tightening the tissues in your soft palate and throat. The heat causes these tissues to contract, allowing your airway to fully open.
Before treatment, these tissues may be enlarged and partially block your airway. As the air tries to move through, snoring occurs. The funny sound you hear when people snore is the vibration of the air passing through the throat.
NightLase® has a high success rate in producing positive change in sleep patterns. Research has shown that NightLase® reduces and attenuates snoring and proves an effective, non-invasive way to lessen the effects of sleep apnea.
Does NightLase hurt?
NightLase® is a modern, minimally-invasive, more natural treatment modality to help reduce snoring and improve quality of sleep.
You may feel warmth from the energy of the laser, but it should not be painful. Anesthetic is not required for this procedure. Because this procedure is noninvasive, no cutting or bleeding is involved. There is no downtime after treatment and you can resume your normal activities as soon as you leave our office.
Our patients find NightLase® to be a highly comfortable and satisfying solution.
How many treatments will I need?
Changes are observable after the first treatment and results in a visible elevation of the soft palate, uvula, and tightening of the oropharyngeal tissues. This gives patients instant improvement in the upper airway volume.
A full course of NightLase consists of three to six sessions depending on the severity of snoring and/or sleep disordered breathing. Studies have shown a reduction of snoring by up to 74% after completion of treatment.
The results you get after finishing your course of treatments may last from six months up to one year. After that, you may need a touch-up in order to prolong your results.
Who is a candidate for NightLase therapy?
Any person who suffers from:
- Sleep Disordered Breathing or snores when they sleep.
- Diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and cannot tolerate a CPAP.
If you snore, you’re probably not getting a good night of sleep. This puts you in a bad mood the next day and also sets you up for the risk of serious health problems down the road.
On top of that, you may have a hard time focusing at work and you may be fighting with your partner because they can’t sleep either. Luckily, there’s something that you can do to salvage your relationship with your bed partner and improve the quality of your life.
At Mercer Island Dentistry, we offer an innovative snoring treatment called Fotona’s NightLase® therapy.
Our patients who have completed treatment tell us they’re sleeping better, don’t fight as much with their partners, and feel more like themselves each day. Learn more about this treatment and decide if it’s a good option for you.
How do I know if NightLase is right for me?
If you snore and have tried other methods to stop it, Fotona’s NightLase® therapy may be for you. Dr. Goichi Shiotsu and Dr. Tam will take your health history and do a thorough exam before recommending this treatment. Our doctors will answer your questions and what to expect from NightLase treatment during your consultation.
How does NightLase work?
NightLase® treatment uses our Fotona Light Walker laser with a proprietary protocol and handpiece to safely penetrate heat into the oral mucosa tissue. The photothermal capabilities of the laser using Er:YAG and Nd:YAG laser wavelengths convert and initiate the formation of new and more elastic collagen.
The science behind this is non-ablative heat generation or “heat shock” that initiates the conversion of existing collagen to more elastic and organized forms. This is called “neo-collagenesis”, the creation of new collagen. The target mucosal tissues are the oropharynx, soft palate, and uvula.
This non-invasive laser treatment allows for safe, but strong, clinical efficacious heating that ultimately increases the quality of sleep for our patients.
NightLase® can
- Decrease the amplitude of snoring by causing a tightening effect by the contraction of collagen in the oral mucosa tissue.
- It is a gentle and easy way for you to regain a good night’s rest.
Considerations
Because you may have a slight sore throat for a day or two after treatment, it’s important to drink a lot of water to keep your throat moist.
If you’re ready to get your snoring under control, make an appointment with Mercer Island Dental today. Give us a call today at 206-232-3600.
