News Articles & Blog Posts

Dr. Bunnag was chosen to receive the

American Dental Association's Humanitarian Award for 2017!

Dr. Bunnag was also featured in the May edition of DentalTown Magazine: How Smiles on Wings took Flight

Sleep Apnea Awareness

Do you know what sleep apnea is? Sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes.

Millions of people go undiagnosed every year with sleep apnea. Ever wake up tired exhausted after a full night's rest? People with sleep apnea may snore loudly and stop breathing for short periods of time. Sleep apnea occurs when tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway, reducing the amount of oxygen delivered to all of your organs including your heart and brain. When the blood-oxygen level drops low enough, the body momentarily wakes up. It can happen so fast that you may not be aware you woke up. This can happen hundreds of times a night for seconds to minutes at a time, and you may wake up in the morning feeling extremely exhausted.

Sleep apnea patients have a much higher risk of stroke and heart problems, such as heart attack, congestive heart failure and hypertension. Sleep apnea patients are also more likely to be involved in an accident at the workplace or while driving.

What are the signs that I might have sleep apnea?

Loud Snoring
Memory Problems
Choking or gasping during sleep
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Irritable mood, personality changes

What are the risk factors?

Men are a higher risk than women
Being overweight
Having High Blood Pressure
History of Heart Disease
Diabetes
Having a large neck size (17 inches or greater in men and 16 inches or greater in women)
Family history of sleep apnea
History of Gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD
Nasal obstruction due to deviated septum, allergies, or sinus problems

Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to or even worsen heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, mood disorders, and chronic fatigue. It has also been linked to smoking,

Can it be treated?

CPAP - A machine hooked up to a mask that covers your nose and mouth while you rest. It applies a steady stream of oxygen throughout the night. Some patients may find themselves unable to sleep with it due to it's bulkiness and noise, but it is an effective treatment.

Oral Appliance - Shifts the lower jaw forward allowing for an open airway when worn during sleep. There are many types available and many patients find it more comfortable than a CPAP. This can be done in our dental office and is custom fitted for your mouth

Upper Airway Surgery - A site specific surgery that is only recommended when the other options are unsuccessful. This could involve advancing the lower jaw, nasal surgery, soft palette surgery and even weight reduction surgery.

If you have any questions, or would like us to do a exam for a possible sleep apnea appliance, please give us a call at the office!

For more information on sleep apnea, please visit:

Posted 15th November 2014 by Usa Bunnag,DDS.,PA.

Older Americans Month

Did you know? May is Older Americans month!

May is Older Americans Month—a tradition dating back to 1963 to honor the legacies and ongoing contributions of older Americans and support them as they enter the next stage in life.

According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, the population of Americans older than 65 years is expected to double to about 71 million by 2040. What's more, the population of Americans older than 85 years is expected to increase to 9.6 million by 2030!

As people live longer and retain more natural teeth, the complexity of their treatment increases. Geriatric dentistry includes, but is not limited to, the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of caries and periodontal disease, as well as oral mucosal diseases, head and neck pain, salivary dysfunction and impaired chewing, tasting and swallowing.

Posted 1st May 2014 by Usa Bunnag,DDS.,PA.

Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know? April is Oral Cancer Awareness month!

Oral cancer has existed outside the understanding of much of the public, yet 43,250 Americans will be newly diagnosed this year alone. Our hygienists and dentists perform oral cancer, head and neck screening when you come in for your teeth cleaning. Bumps and lumps in your mouth should not be ignore. Some cancer can only be detected by xray.

These screenings are more important now than ever because oral cancer is on the rise. There are two distinct pathways by which most people come to oral cancer. One is through the use of tobacco and alcohol, a long term historic problem and cause, and the other is through the exposure to the HPV-16 virus, which is now the leading cause of oral cancers in the US. Today, we are seeing young, non-smoking individuals as the fastest growing segment of the oral cancer population. When found early, oral cancers have an 80% survival rate. Unfortunately, the majorities are found as late stage cancers and this accounts for the very high death rate of about 45% at five years from diagnosis. Late stage diagnosis is occurring not because these cancers are hard to discover, it is because of a lack of public awareness and a lack of a national program for opportunistic screenings.

Who should get screened?

Every adult. Oral cancer can often be caught early, even as a pre-cancer. With early detection, survival rates are high and the side effects are from treatment are at their lowest. Like other screenings you engage in such as cervical, skin, prostate, colon and breast examinations, oral cancer screenings are an effective means of finding cancer at its early, highly curable stages. We make them part of your annual health check-ups.

Early Indicators:

Red and/or white discolorations of the soft tissues of the mouth.

Any sore which does not heal within 14 days.

Hoarseness which lasts for a prolonged period of time.

Advanced Indicators:

A sensation that something is stuck in you throat.

Numbness in the oral region.

Difficulty in moving the jaw or tongue.

Difficulty in swallowing.

Ear pain which occurs on one side only.

A sore under a denture, which even after adjustment of the denture, still does not heal.

A lump or thickening which develops in the mouth or on the neck.

For more information: http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/

Posted 5th April 2014 by Usa Bunnag,DDS.,PA.