Karen Williamson, DDS

By Meredith Knight

Why is a family dentist screening patients for sleep disorders? Why not. As your dentist goes about a routine check-up, they’re in prime position to notice signs of breathing disordered sleep (sleep apnea) which may be wreaking havoc on your health and well-being. Some of the symptoms a dentist might notice have to do with the position of the tongue at rest, the size and condition of the tonsils, or the width of a patient’s jaw. In fact, their familiarity with their patients’ mouth and jaw positions enables them to detect any number of health concerns. A sleeping disorder is just one of them.

As of 2017, the American Dental Association called upon every general dentist to screen patients for sleep apnea, looking for and evaluating its warning signs. These screenings have been a part of Dr. Karen Williamson’s dental practice for many years. More recently, she’s become the only dentist in this area to invest in an advanced acoustic diagnostic pharyngometer and rhinometer to further fine tune those screenings.

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

“The technology has been around for years and is widely used by ENTs and sleep disorder specialists,” Dr. Williamson said. “This device uses acoustic-reflection technology to accurately map the size, structure, and collapsibility of the oral and nasal airway. Just as a bat sends echo-vision to the back wall of the cave to gauge its size and shape, we use the pharyngometer and rhinometer to see whether your airway is collapsing (like a fireman’s hose) and where the collapse might be occurring.”

Custom Care

As with any new technology, Dr. Williamson and her team tried it on themselves first. “We were surprised how non-invasive it is,” she said. “It never even enters your nose but sits right outside throughout the diagnosis process. Then, the data from the pharyngometer and rhinometer can be displayed on an easy-to-read graph, so the patient sees what we see.”

When the technology registers a collapse, Dr. Williamson can send the patient home with a sleep study. “Many patients are surprised to find they can perform the study in their own bed in their own home and don’t have to spend the night at a sleep study lab,” Dr. Williamson said. “Once the study is complete, we can work with the patient’s physician to direct care for sleeep apnea.”

Medical Signs of Sleep Apnea

The medical signs of sleep apnea are many and include:

High blood pressure
Acid reflux (GERD) / persistent heartburn
Crohn’s disease
Past history of stroke
Cardiovascular disease
AFib
Alzheimer’s
Cancer
PTSD
Fibromyalgia
Diabetes
Headaches (migraines)
Snoring
Anxiety
Depression
Frequently getting up to urinate at night
Night sweats
Clenching teeth
TMJ pain
Night terrors
Insomnia
Restless leg syndrome
Arthritis
Esophageal reflux
Mouth breathing
Chronic sinusitis/allergies
Deviated septum

Dental Signs of Sleep Apnea

Experienced dentists like Dr. Williamson have become familiar with other signs that manifest in the mouth which they detect during a routine check-up. Those include:

An open bite, crossbite or deep overbite
A tongue that is creased, tethered, scalloped, or covering the lower teeth
Tonsils that are large, inflamed, or reddened
Tonsil stones
Red, inflamed tissue at the back of the throat
A gummy smile
Red gums
Teeth that are splayed, pitted, worn down, or leaning into the tongue
Acidic cavities or many cavities
Missing premolars
And more

“Sleep apnea puts a lot of stress on your body, mainly your heart,” Dr. Williamson said. “Your blood oxygen levels start to drop when you stop breathing so often. This can result in high blood pressure and increase your risk of stroke or heart attack.”

One Patient’s Story

Chris W. was recommended to Dr. Williamson by his friend who is also a dentist. “As a new patient, I found Dr. Williamson and her staff very intentional and thorough with initial exams and getting to know me,” he said. “Dr. Williamson is very interested in her patients’ overall health and well-being and what the dental health can reveal about her patients.”

With Chris, Dr. Williamson quickly recognized he’d been grinding his teeth in his sleep — for decades. She ordered a sleep study which revealed that Chris was suffering from sleep apnea. She fit him for a corrective oral appliance and Chris reports his quality of sleep has improved significantly. “When you’re tired even some of the time, your mood, productivity, happiness, and overall health are impacted,” he said. “It can be a desperate feeling not knowing the cause much less the right solution. I’m incredibly grateful to Dr. Williamson and her staff for having a significant impact on me and my overall health. I’d recommend them to anyone.”

Meet Dr. Williamson

Dr. Williamson is a proud Rockwall resident. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University before graduating from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1990. She completed a one-year general practice residency program at the VA Medical Center in Dallas specializing in general dentistry, completed additional training at Children’s Hospital Dallas and Denton State School before opening her private general dentistry practice in Rockwall in 1993. She happily provides comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry to generations of her Rockwall neighbors. Dr. Williamson is now accepting new patients.