Finding the Starting Jaw Position One challenge, and point of many discussions, is the starting position for oral appliance therapy in the management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A question that often comes up is “where do I set the first jaw position?” If I had the answer to this question, I would look like a genius. We seem to forget that our bite position, whether it … [Read more...]
No Patient Left Behind
There’s an epidemic that’s 85% undiagnosed, affecting people all around us. Every medical professional has responsibility, but, so far, patients are suffering. As our country settles into a new norm and political direction, we find ourselves facing unique realities and engaging in new ways of processing and thinking. We are left with an understanding that the way things were … [Read more...]
The Future’s so Bright; I Gotta Wear Shades
In his book “The World is Flat” Thomas Friedman notes that “Analysts have always tended to measure a society (substitute “Dental Sleep Medicine Profession”) by classic economic and social statistics. Such statistics are important and revealing. Friedman prefers to ask a more telling question; “Does this society or profession have more memories or dreams?” If memories prevail … [Read more...]
How Airway Management’s TAP Sleep Care System Continues to Revolutionize SDB
In 1992, an ENT surgeon referred a patient diagnosed with Sleep Related Breathing Disordered (SRBD) to me. This patient was non adherent with CPAP at a pressure of 18. Her sleep physician stated that since she had “failed CPAP” and was not a surgical candidate, her only option was to go to “this dentist who might have a solution”. Within a week, she received the only device … [Read more...]
Combining Technologies for Successful Outcomes
Combining Technologies for Successful Outcomes with Innovations Like i-CAT, Ez Sleep, Night Shift and Apnea Guard® Targeted and disruptive technologies” is the space where Dental Sleep Medicine dentists have always lived. Whether we know it or not, we have been all about disruptive innovation in the medical device field, and more specifically within the field of sleep … [Read more...]
Extending the Value of CBCT
Introducing the first 3D Solution for the Analysis and Treatment of OSA Dental Sleep Practice recently sat down with Dr. Scott Pope, an expert in the field of using Cone Beam technology to assist his patient care, to talk about the value his GALILEOS brings to his practice. DSP: Scott, like many dentists, you have been treating sleep patients for a while in your … [Read more...]
Working Off the Same Matrix
Toward an Integrated Care Model for Obstructive Sleep Apnea How do you define CPAP failure? The CMS guidelines set the generally accepted compliance threshold at 4hr/night on 70% of nights. What about Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) failure? Here the definition gets more fuzzy. In a 2014 review, Sutherland et al. identified several alternative success criteria used by … [Read more...]
Love At First Bite
Ez Sleep & Apnea Guard – A Game Changer for Dental Sleep Medicine Ez Sleep is dominating the home sleep testing industry – that is why the pairing of Apnea Guard with Ez Sleep’s baseline and efficacy home sleep testing offering is the perfect marriage to test and treat OSA patients. Dentists will now be able to deliver immediate trial therapy with AG in the very same … [Read more...]
What Documentation Does a Physician Want from a Dentist?
by Rose Nierman, CEO Nierman Practice Management Are you looking for a way to increase both the number of Dental Sleep Medicine (DSM) patients your practice sees and also improve patient care? Oral appliance therapy (OAT) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) involves colleagues from different healthcare professions with specialized skills and expertise working together. Being … [Read more...]
Making a Monumental Difference: Sports Stars Spread Sleep Awareness
SPORT STARS LIKE ROY GREEN, CHARLES BARKLEY, AND DEREK KENNARD HAVE TEAMED UP WITH DAVID GERGEN TO FOCUS AWARENESS OF SLEEP APNEA AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND PATIENTS. THESE LEGENDS SHARE THE SAME COMMITMENT TO HELPING PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM SLEEP APNEA AS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WHO ACTUALLY PROVIDE THE CARE. IT IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED THAT, IN SPITE OF THE FAME AND FORTUNE OF A … [Read more...]
