This special section on dental sleep medicine education features opportunities for learning that can expand your business and clinical horizons.
Airway Collaborative
What is the greatest challenge dentists face in DSM and how will your course help attendees overcome it?
For the most part, “sleep” dentists have been relegated to an ancillary role to the physician in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). But as we learn more about the significance of developmental anatomy, airway flow limitation, and soft tissue dysfunction as risk factors, we see that OSA is not the main problem at all. OSA is but the end-stage symptom of a lifetime of poor development, poor function, and poor daytime and nighttime breathing.
All these latter issues are within the purview of the airway-focused dentist and orthodontist. According to the ADA policy on the Role of Dentists in Sleep Related Breathing Disorders, we are responsible for helping children “develop an optimal physiologic airway and breathing pattern.” In collaboration with other healthcare professionals and interdisciplinary protocols, dentistry has the ability to obviate the upper airway flow limitation and prevent the occurrence of OSA. Certainly medicine can manage the problem, but it lacks the tools and understanding of craniofacial development that dental professionals possess.
The challenge is getting dentists to see that the precursors to airway flow limitation begin at birth and that we have the ability to address distortions in structure, hampered function, and sub-optimal behaviors at all stages and ages of life. Our allopathic training has been focused largely on signs and symptoms management. Our methods have become somewhat mechanical and yet that is not how human physiology works. Instead, we must address etiology/root cause and prevent the downstream co-morbidities. This approach is not included in most dental training. Dentists must come to understand that the science and evidence is overwhelming in supporting a systems approach to breathing and sleep problems. Striving for optimal wellness and not just symptom reduction is a hallmark of airway dentistry.
Here are some principles we teach:
- Since the jaws form the housing for the nasal and pharyngeal airways, ensuring optimal development of the facial skeleton is fundamental to allowing good airflow. Repairing distorted or damaged structures through growth enhancement is critical to airway health.
- Improving the resiliency of the airway and reducing its tendency to collapse by optimizing physiologic functions keeps the airway open, day and night.
- Most importantly, since many of the chronic maladies of the airway occur as downstream results of behaviors and habits that have been adopted as compensations for a modern environment that is full of chronic stressors, changing the behaviors that lead to collapse of the airway is fundamental to airway health. This includes breathing, tongue posture, oral functions, body posture and more. If the behaviors don’t change, the outcomes cannot be permanently changed.
At the Airway Collaborative, we teach how to address function, structure, and behavior in a way that is clinically meaningful and leads to successful patient outcomes.
Visit Our Website for Course Listings
and additional information: https://airwaycollaborative.com/
Ben-Pat Institute
What differentiates your curriculum from other dental sleep educational offerings?
Our curriculum not only covers dental sleep issues but also includes a good temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) presentation that may help the practitioner in diagnosing jaw issues. We offer an extensive hands-on experience which includes a comprehensive examination of the oral cavity and supporting musculature as well as a TMD evaluation. Our teaching style invites dentist participation with questions and then group discussions during the lectures.
Additionally, our methods encompass a case-based didactic learning style. This allows participants to appreciate the thoughts behind the clinical cause that they may encounter. We chose this learning style because it will help you have a clear understanding of the examination and diagnosis process as well as the treatment plan. Everything is intertwined and we want to make sure you understand it all.
How will attendees be different after experiencing your educational event(s)?
After experiencing our educational events, attendees will have the basis of knowledge of dental sleep medicine and TMD. They will also recognize that there is a substantial crossover of these patients with their symptoms. Our goal is to give them the basic skills in TMD to recognize, refer or even treat these patients.
It is our goal to help attendees build confidence in their diagnostic skills as well as with preparing and understanding treatment plans. Through our hands-on components, we can provide all attendees with the skills needed to successfully implement these concepts while also understanding the flow for their individual clinical practices.
There is an abundance of DSM CE available – Why should a dentist attend yours?
We present the broadest materials of the two disciplines – obstructive sleep apnea and TMD – and then show how to implement this into your practice. We want each dentist who takes the class to be able to go out immediately after each session and be able to implement what they learned on Monday.
How will your course(s) make my practice better?
The subjects we teach will give each dentist a different perspective with their existing patients. We teach that as dentists, airway will trump many issues related to failed restorative care in some cases. One should always take the airway into consideration when planning their care.
What do your events teach about DSM and how will it help attendees actually treat more patients?
We bring in different medical doctors and adjunctive healthcare providers to talk about their specialties – sleep doctor, pediatric neurologist, physical therapist – and try to give the best overall perspective for the learning experiences of all dentists involved. Combined with the hands-on portions of the mini residency, this gives the dentist the tools they need to be successful. Combined, our two presenters, have more than 50 years of knowledge in treating TMD and obstructive sleep apnea patients.
Visit Our Website for Course Lisitngs
and additional information: https://benpatinstitute.com/
DS3
What is the top question you are asked and how would you answer it?
“How do I get paid for dental sleep medicine?” Every office is different, and we help provide a custom billing model that meets each practice’s needs. This custom approach ensures patient and practice satisfaction compared to a “one size fits all” approach.
What differentiates your curriculum from other dental sleep educational offerings?
We offer a comprehensive Dental Sleep Medicine (DSM) curriculum taught by DSM experts. We were founded by successful DSM dentists who bring over 40 years of DSM experience and over a decade of teaching streamlined systems for patient care. Our curriculum focuses on simplifying the processes with practical solutions to DSM challenges with an emphasis on screening, testing, treating, and billing. We offer a wide variety of educational opportunities including but not limited to:
- On demand/live interactive coaching
- Nationwide webinar series
- DSM virtual educational continuum
- Hands-on courses
- In-person consulting and shadowing opportunities
What is one actionable step you want every participant to walk away with?
All our educational experiences achieve the same goal; preparing dentists to treat OSA patients. We want every attendee to get started treating their sleep disordered breathing patients. With the knowledge and support we provide, dentists can rapidly start bringing this rewarding service to their practices.
How will attendees be different after experiencing your educational event(s)?
They’ll look at airway, bruxism, and dentistry from a new perspective. Understanding the airway connection in addition to their patient’s dentition can make their restorative practices much more enjoyable, predictable, and they’ll realize they can save lives!
There is an abundance of DSM CE available – Why should a dentist attend yours?
Our team has decades of hands-on experience treating thousands of DSM patients. We’ve learned what works and we’ve developed simple steps for DSM Success. Our training focuses on providing efficient systems for the 4 Pillars of DSM: Screening, Testing, Treating, and Billing. Helping dentists succeed in dental sleep is what we do all day every day!
What changes should we expect in DSM over the next 3 years?
We believe the industry will grow exponentially. Changes in HSAT, telemedicine, digital devices, and FastTrack calibrations will further streamline the DSM process. Public awareness is at an all-time high and CPAP challenges with effectiveness and other issues have become more prevalent. All of this adds up to a greater awareness and need for DSM.
How will your course(s) make my practice better?
Your team will learn a new way to help patients which can be rewarding for their career while your practice grows financially. We teach proven simple systems for DSM implementation. Our programs will empower you to help more patients breathe better, sleep better, and live longer!
Use Code DSP21 and Attend a Course on Us!
Scan the code below or visit https://ds3sleep.com/DS3Complete
Kettenbach
Does Kettenbach offer any CE courses that relate to their products?
For over 70 years, we’ve been focused on progress. We strive to improve the lives of clinicians and your patients – it’s that simple! Sometimes we do this through our groundbreaking products and materials. Other times we achieve this goal through education.
Kettenbach is proud to align with some of the most exceptional educators in Dental Sleep Medicine. They use our products, have benefited from their predictability, ease of use, and accuracy. Dentists like Dr. John Tucker share their real-world experiences with us and with clinicians around the world. This creates a feedback loop that helps dentists save time and money while also empowering Kettenbach with the knowledge to continually innovate.
What upcoming educational opportunities do you have scheduled?
We will definitely be at the Greater New York Dental Meeting, sponsoring Dr. John Tucker’s sleep course along with Dental Sleep Practice.
If you can’t make it to GNYDM, be sure to catch Kettenbach at the AAPMD (9/23-9/25) or the ADA SmileCon (10/11-10/13) at booth B3417. See a full list of events on our schedule: https://www.kettenbachusa.com/downloads.aspx
What if someone can’t make it out to a course or trade show? How can they learn about your products and how to maximize their benefits?
We’re really thankful that the U.S. has turned a corner, and we can all spend time together in social educational settings again. Even if you can’t travel to one of the excellent meetings on our schedule, we also offer regional seminars with more personal instruction through our sales representatives. Connect with a local representative and take advantage of these invaluable educational opportunities: https://www.kettenbach-dental. us/contact/ 877-532-2123
We’re also ecstatic to announce our free on-demand product related courses featured on our partner platform with Catapult Education (https://www.catapulteducation.com/kettenbach). This platform provides a wealth of useful information that will improve efficiency, maximize your output, and save time. Of course, time is money.
A free CE webinar titled “Bite Registration for Oral Appliances to Treat Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders” hosted by Dr. Tucker is available now on the Dental Sleep Practice website. From impression techniques to improve OAT fit to predictable bite registrations to minimize titration, Dr. Tucker covered it here: https://bit.ly/2WbkFrB
What makes Kettenbach unique?
Besides impression materials, snore screeners, mandibular simulators, and titration keys, we also carry a full line of restorative products, including temporary, core build up and adhesive cement. Our world-class customer service team is available for you to provide education and assistance every step. You’ll also save 30-40% since you will be buying directly from the manufacturer.
Get 15% Off Your Next Order
Mention this code KEBA-SLEEP15 – and get 15% off your next order. (Limit to 1 order.) 30-day risk-free trial. Love it or your money back! Call Kettenbach Direct 877-532-2123.
N3Sleep & DreamSleep
What is the main difference between the DreamSleep program and other dental sleep education programs?
N3Sleep, the consulting division of DreamSleep, combines a robust online curriculum with hands-on, in-office training for your whole team, not just the dentist or sleep coordinator. We believe that whole team training is critical to success in sleep. Everyone must know their part and be invested in the health of the patient. Each element of our program is tailored to the specific needs of your practice. We integrate your procedures and the tools you have chosen into a custom protocol for each member of your team. Another meaningful differentiator is that we include a minimum of 6 months follow-up coaching with your team. We don’t just give you information and leave it up to you to implement. We help you get the program moving, train your team, and work through the issues along the way.
How will attendees be different after N3Sleep training?
The N3Sleep program is focused on the whole team. Your team will complete the program knowing not only what they need to do but more importantly how to work together. We know it’s busy running a dental practice, which is why our program is built to make integrating sleep easy. We work with your team to create protocols and systems that work for your practice. Our ongoing coaching program helps ensure that you overcome any obstacles that pop up.
What is the greatest challenge dentists face in DSM & how will your course help attendees overcome it?
Effective training for the team is the biggest challenge facing dental practices adding sleep. It’s a lot of work training your whole team, especially when running a busy practice. It can quickly become the thing that gets dropped. That is why it’s essential to have a dedicated partner who can give each member of your team the attention they need.
How will your course(s) make my practice better?
Sleep medicine is a team effort, and everyone needs to understand their role. Whole team training ensures that each team member understands their contribution to patient care. To learn more, visit https://n3sleep.com/.
Free 20 Minute Sleep Program Consultation
Scan this code to schedule a free 20 minute sleep program consultation or visit https://bookme.name/n3sleep/sleep-program-consult
Pristine Medical Billing
When educating a practice on the amount to collect from the patient for the oral appliance therapy, what factors come in to play?
For out-of-network providers, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact payment without a contracted rate. If you’ve curated a history of allowable rates for the codes being billed to the carrier or you use a third-party billing service, you can do the math from the benefit check. However, that gets challenging since you’re unsure if the gap is going to be approved. We recommend using the history of allowable rates for your state, get the gap/pre-auth approval first and then present the financials to the patient. Otherwise, you may present the financials on assumptions of gap approval and get it wrong. While this might take a couple weeks, it gives patients an accurate estimate and confidence that treatment has been approved. This will also boost your financial coordinator’s confidence which will be felt by your patients.
What advice does Pristine give during webinars about the initial insurance coverage, when the patient asks about the cost?
We recommend that you do not make the mistake of saying “Yes, your insurance covers the treatment.” This seemingly innocuous statement can lead patients to believe the insurance pays for most of treatment and perhaps, they just need to pay a copay like a doctor’s appointment or an ER visit. We recommend that our practices inform patients that “Yes, your insurance should cover a good portion of the treatment depending on your plan coverage. We ‘ll have a better understanding once we complete the benefit check and pre-authorization for the treatment.”
This creates clear expectations, so everyone is on the same page.
Does Pristine advise attendees at courses to bill for morning aligners or impression material?
This is an area that dental practices need to be very careful about as there are entities that will recommend oral surgery codes like 21110 or 21085 for these items. This could be considered insurance fraud. If a practice wants to bill out a morning aligner, the only code we would recommend is the E1399 Misc. DME code, but that isn’t usually worth the hassle.
Does Pristine coach dental practices to go in-network or stay out-of-network with medical insurance carriers?
That depends on the area in which you practice. If there is an in-network dental sleep medicine provider within 20-30 miles of your practice, it would probably be best to go in-network as the insurance carrier will likely default to send the patient to the other provider during the pre-authorization process. It will also be challenging to obtain a gap approval to use the patient’s lower in-network deductible. The insurance carriers are now contracting with general dentists, so that is currently an option for many practices.
If there are not any in-network practices within a 30-mile radius, then the practice can remain out-of-network and obtain gap approvals to realize the best of both worlds.
Whatever decision you make, you’re strongly encouraged to coordinate with an experienced medical billing company that helps coach you to success. We can help.
Schedule a Demo
Contact us at www.PristineMedicalBilling.com to schedule a demo and review our new EMR system that is included with the Pristine membership
Sleep Group Solutions
What differentiates your curriculum from other dental sleep educational offerings?
At Sleep Group Solutions, our curriculum focuses on full-service, end-to-end solutions for dental sleep medicine. There are many programs out there covering practice management protocols, appliances, sleep testing options, and other individual pieces of the dental sleep medicine puzzle. SGS is the only one with a comprehensive, 360 degree solution including hands-on clinical training for your team. We are proud to present a clinical program that provides objective predictable results for appliance therapy with a process that may eliminate the need for future titrations/adjustments.
How will attendees be different after experiencing your educational event(s)?
Whether you are already practicing dental sleep medicine or you are brand new and have never made a sleep appliance, our program provides attendees with the protocols to establish or grow a dental sleep medicine business. After the SGS sleep course, you will possess a new or enhanced understanding of sleep and breathing and how it connects with daily dental complications you encounter. Just today, 1 in 4 of the patients you saw had a diagnosable sleep-related breathing disorder and odds are, you missed 99% of them – this will change after the SGS sleep course!
What is the greatest challenge dentists face in DSM and how will your course help attendees overcome it?
There are numerous challenges in Dental Sleep Medicine but our program helps to address all of them. Most often, there are miscommunications with patients that result in an over-reliance on insurance. Our mission is helping to improve how practices engage and educate patients regarding their sleep disorders. With SGS’s system, guesswork is eliminated, giving you confidence knowing that the bite you take for your patient’s sleep appliance is precisely positioned. The costly process of advancing devices an arbitrary amount for a bite and then testing, adjusting, re-testing, and adjusting again, is gone. In addition to this predictable, time-saving clinical protocol, we teach systems to ensure successful medical insurance billing & reimbursement.
What changes should we expect in DSM over the next 3 years?
Oral appliances are the most patient preferred, non-invasive treatment option for the management of sleep apnea. As awareness, physician acceptance, and referrals increase, dentists will find themselves in a prime position to take advantage of this market growth. The time to establish yourself as the “go-to” provider for this therapy in your area is now.
How will your course(s) make my practice better?
DSM will mean two things for your practice: Doing the right thing for your patients and growing your business. You don’t get to choose if you see sleep apnea patients, every single person reading this, saw sleep patients today so the choice is simple: Are you going to help them? Or are you going to overlook the airway problems you see every day? Join us on a journey to a clinically and financially successful sleep business today!
Contact Us for a Free In-office Consultation
https://go.sleepgroupsolutions.com/DSP2021
Vivos Billing Intelligence Service
What is the top question you are asked, and how would you answer it?
“How can I get medical insurance to help pay for my patient’s treatment?” The answer lies in having an integrated workflow leading to both a successful clinical and financial outcome. The only thing preventing dentists from accessing medical benefits is fear or lack of knowledge – and the fear comes from the lack of knowledge!
What differentiates your curriculum from other dental sleep educational offerings, and why should dentists attend yours?
We start with the end goal in mind: successful clinical AND financial outcomes. With that in mind, dentists can benefit from “reverse engineering” their clinical protocols and avoid embedding obstacles for payment into their workflow.
Our curriculum is different in two important ways:
- This course gives equal weight to the clinical and financial aspects of treating sleep patients. Many dental sleep courses incorrectly focus on the clinical aspect of treating sleep patients and present the financial aspect as an afterthought. Due to this, dentists who want to treat these patients are often prepared clinically but fail financially, eventually becoming discouraged and giving up.
- It provides the ability to recognize, treat, and be paid for a variety of treatment modalities, such as craniofacial appliances that address the underlying structural problems. Other dental sleep courses focus on treatment by mandibular advancement; however, MADs are only one tool in the dentist’s “toolbox.”
What do you mean by “Beyond MAD”?
In their earliest exposure to DSM, dentists are taught that mandibular advancement is a therapeutic solution for OSA. In fact, it is only a management tool and not a solution. Dentists must be prepared to recognize and treat the full spectrum of clinical presentations and be paid for such valuable service.
What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened at one of your events?
A dentist got up in the middle of a course, left the room to go outside, and started screaming: “Now I get it!” over and over again. Then he came back into the room and sat down as if nothing had happened. It was the embodiment of the power of an “Aha!” moment!
What is the greatest challenge dentists face in DSM, and how will your course help attendees overcome it?
The greatest challenge dentists face is case acceptance and being paid properly for their services. Knowledge is power. Knowing what is needed for payment and incorporating that knowledge into clinical protocols helps them overcome that challenge.
What changes should we expect in DSM over the next three years?
Technology will simplify the identification and diagnosis of OSA and accelerate public awareness of this widespread problem. Focus will shift to the underlying reasons people have OSA and how it can be reversed in adults and avoided by early screening and intervention in our younger population. This will create a huge demand for dentists prepared to treat and be paid for a full range of treatment options – especially craniofacial dental sleep medicine.
Attend Dr. Farrugia’s Online Course “Beyond MAD”
Sign up by calling 720-414-3485 or by visiting www.vivosbis.com
The Vivos Institute
What is the top question you are asked and how would you answer it?
Why was The Vivos Institute established? We wanted to build a space for post-graduate education across a variety of needs that we know are prevalent in dentistry. We teach on dental practice management, leadership skills, medical billing, orthodontic treatment, myofunctional therapies, sleep test use and understanding, and a variety of modalities that include oral appliance therapies to treat SDB, including mild-to-moderate OSA and dentofacial underdevelopment.
What differentiates your curriculum from other dental sleep educational offerings?
We know this is a multi-disciplinary issue that impacts everyone uniquely. We incorporate all the latest modalities to give our attendees a comprehensive understanding of what to look for, what to ask patients, intake procedures and forms to incorporate, how to become effective and, most importantly – the enormous impact dentists and their teams can have on the overall health and wellness of their patients.
What is one actionable step you want every participant to walk away with?
When attendees leave our trainings, they immediately go back to the office with a list of patients they now recognize as candidates for a more thorough screening that will include sleep questionnaires, home sleep tests, etc. This alone will hugely impact patient health.
How will attendees be different after experiencing your educational event(s)?
Our attendees leave with the ability to visually recognize common facial, oral, and health history conditions that are indicators that better questions should be asked. They are motivated to look beyond the teeth and be concerned for the overall health of each patient they see. They know that these common symptoms are anything but normal.
There is an abundance of DSM CE available – Why should a dentist attend yours?
Our post-graduate CE includes state-of-the-art equipment, hands on opportunities, and will train the entire office team their crucial role to establish a sleep and airway focus in their practice. Beyond amazing educators, The Vivos Institute support team and the overall experience are designed to assure a high-level experience for every attendee.
What is the greatest challenge dentists face in DSM and how will your course help attendees overcome it?
The challenge, as we see it, is just not knowing what they don’t know. Through the learning at The Vivos Institute, attendees realize their critical role and step-by-step methodologies for implementing successfully.
What do your events teach about DSM and how will it help attendees actually treat more patients?
It all starts with screening – using new technologies, such as the VivoScore by SleepImage, which is low cost and easy to use, dental practices will have an easy-to-implement patient flow to quickly address this critical area of overall health.
To Learn More About the Vivos Institute
Visit https://thevivosinstitute.com/
