Finding and Treating Sleep Apnea in Your Practice

This course will teach you why sleep is so vital, but more importantly, why sleep inefficiency is killing our patients. The good news is that we can help, specifically in the area of sleep disordered breathing. In fact, dentists should be the gatekeepers for this field of medicine. You will get an overview of what our duty is, what it would take to get proficient and how to stay out of trouble. 

If you would like more information on treating sleep apnea go to http://www.21stcenturydental.com/smith/SleepCoursesat21stCenturyDental.htm

AGD course code:160

Placed on site:10/1/2012 Expiration date: 10/1/2018

No Financial relationship exists between HDiQ Dental and any product mentioned in this course.

1. Learn the basic terms used in dental sleep medicine

2. Discover the characteristics that help in screening for sleep apnea

3. Become familiar with the testing methods for diagnosis

4. Learn about various appliances used in treatment

5. Find out how to get paid for working with these patients

I.    Overview of sleep apnea

II.   How to assess for sleep apnea

III.  Treatment options

IV.  Patient consultation

V.   Patient education

Kushida CA, Morgenthaler TI, Littner MR, Alessi CA, Bailey D, Coleman J Jr, Friedman L, Hirshkowitz M, Kapen S, Kramer M, Lee-Chiong T, Owens J, Pancer JP.  American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Practice Parameters for the Treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Oral Appliances: An Update for 2005. Sleep. 2006 Feb 1;29(2):240-3.

Caterina Bucca1*, Alessandro Cicolin, Luisa Brussino, Andrea Arienti, Alessandra Graziano, Francesco Erovigni, Paolo Pera1, Valerio Gai, Roberto Mutani, Giulio Preti1, Giovanni Rolla1 and Stefano Carossa.  Tooth loss and obstructive sleep apnoea. Respiratory Research 2006, 7:8

• Part 1 - Sleep apnea overview
  Dr. Kent Smith reviews sleep apnea and the key terms that are associated with sleep apnea.

• Part 2 - What to look for when screening patients for sleep apnea
  Dr. Smith reviews what to look for in your patients that may have sleep apnea.

• Part 3 - What to look for when screening patients for sleep apnea continued
  Dr. Smith continues to discuss screening patients for sleep apnea using the Mallampati score.

• Part 4 - Treatment of sleep apnea
  Dr. Smith reviews the three different options for treating sleep apnea.

• Part 5 - Patient consultation
  Dr. Smith demonstrates how to verbalize the need for treatment to a patient.

• Part 6 - Appliance delivery and follow-up
  Dr. Kent Smith demonstrates the delivery of the appliance and then walks thru the procedure for each of the follow-up appointments.