Snoring has been a problem for me my whole life. I became a dental patient of Victor Avis around 15 years ago. Victor recognized some symptoms of sleep apnea (I would fall asleep in the dental chair and sometimes snore). He would ask me if I had problems sleeping or nodding out during the day or felt tired. As far as I was concerned that was all “normal” for me, because it was my reality for 50 years. I started using the snore score app on my iPhone. My snoring was off the charts! Vic encouraged me to have a sleep study done. After much (gentle) prodding on his part, I did. The Dr. that I saw for the study said that, not only was my snoring a problem, but I stopped breathing 67 times during the study. Long story short, the Dr. prescribed a CPAP machine and I started using it. It took some time to get used to, but I stuck with it. Boy am I glad I did! It was a total game changer for me. These days I get a full night of uninterrupted sleep with a snore score in single digits (sometimes ZERO), whereas before my scores were as high as 160 with hours of sleep”epic” snoring. I don’t nod out or nap at all during the day. It’s amazing! When Victor became my dentist, I experienced a level of dental care I never imagined possible. I actually ENJOY going to the dentist. Everyone in his practice is dedicated to patients’ dental health AND general health and well-being. I’m sure I tested his seemingly inexhaustible patience by not acting on his advice sooner, but Vic was encouraging throughout my journey and not a single “I told you so,” which would be more than justified. The CPAP machine also helped with my acid reflux (another symptom Victor noticed). I sleep with a nose and face mask connected to the machine through tubing. I don’t even notice that I’m wearing it anymore and I couldn’t be happier with the positive changes that have come from using it.
