How does the dentist with a deep interest in becoming expert in providing sleep disorder care stay on the right path? The simple answer is to learn from true sleep medicine experts and study the topic as if it is a passion. It takes time, exposure and serious commitment. Like all hard-earned expertise, it is not as easy as you may first be led to believe. In recent years, I … [Read more...]
Medically Indicated Orthodontic Care: A Change in Concept
The Problem Current health care policy in the U.S. has mandated that our children should be offered competent dental care as part of maintaining good general health. This includes orthodontic care only if it can be shown to be “Medically Necessary”.1 Even though only 16% of children can be easily recognized as requiring medically necessary orthodontic care2 (while 85% have mal … [Read more...]
Which Class? Choosing Education Wisely
John has been your patient for five years. He has mentioned his snoring problem to you on previous visits. “Doctor, my snoring has gotten so bad lately and it is really disrupting a peaceful night’s sleep in my house. My wife said that it is time to do something about it. I’ve done some research and read about an oral appliance. Can you help me?” This isn’t the first time a p … [Read more...]
Foundation for Airway Health
The Foundation for Airway Health will host an “Airway Summit”, September 15, 2016 at the El Conquistador Hotel in Tucson, Arizona. We’re calling it a “White Flag Event.” Why “white flag”? Because we’re asking you to momentarily set aside the focus on competition in the marketplace and serve patients by and articulating a unified airway health message. The Mission of the Found … [Read more...]
What do you see?
When teaching at the Pankey Institute in the early 90’s, I was fortunate to be influenced by some great minds in TMD, Chronic Pain and Sleep Medicine. Drs. Parker Mahan, Henry Gremillion, Keith Thornton, William Dement and others, all, unknowingly, had a hand in directing my journey; Mahan and Gremillion taught me about chronic pain and fibromyalgia, Stanford’s Dement and his bo … [Read more...]
Next Steps in Navigating the World of Dental Sleep Medicine
by Dr. Erin E. Elliott You are reading this magazine because there’s always more to learn about treating sleep apnea – I’ll get to that. But first, let me start out by telling you why I NEVER wanted to make sleep appliances in my practice. In 2008, 5 years out of dental school, one thing I was absolutely sure of was that if a patient had Class I canine guidance then all was rig … [Read more...]
