Tired Teens - Diagnose Sleep Apnea with X-Rays

Orthodontists Diagnose Sleep Apnea in Tired Teens More Easily with X-Rays

Being a teenager is tough these days, but it's especially tough if you're always tired. Now a simple X-ray taken at your children's orthodontist could hold the key to helping them sleep better.

Orthodontist Mark Hans is studying whether the same X-rays teens get before getting braces will help determine if they're at risk for sleep apnea.

Diagnosing sleep apnea -- a chronic condition that causes teen-agers to stop breathing during sleep -- is difficult and often means staying at an overnight sleep lab. There is a test that can spot the problem with simple X-rays, by checking the position of the tongue and hyoid bone. If the bone sits lower, patients are more likely to have the condition. In a recent study, the X-rays correctly identified 70 percent of teens with sleep apnea.

Dr. Hans says there's no disadvantage to performing the X-ray other than a minimal dose of radiation, which is equivalent to a day in the sun. He says most insurance covers the X-rays, which cost about $100. A sleep lab evaluation could cost thousands.