Jyotsna Sahni, MD

Tell us about yourself.

A graduate of Haverford College and the University of Pittsburgh, I have been in medical practice for 22 years. The first 11 years of my career I was an internist at Canyon Ranch Health resort. Since then, I have practiced Sleep Medicine exclusively. I opened my own practice, Swan Sleep Medicine, five years ago in sunny Tucson, Arizona. When asked why I chose Sleep Medicine, I often joke that I could not commit to a single organ. Fortunately, Sleep Medicine is a combination of pulmonology, cardiology, neurology, and psychiatry. Never boring, Sleep Medicine requires a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment. To that end, I’ve been certified in holistic medicine, nutrition, and Ayuvedic medicine as well as Sleep Medicine. I’ve also had extra training in cognitive behavioral therapy of insomnia (CBT – I). In general, Sleep Medicine is a happy field of medicine. When people are sleeping well, they feel more rested, of course, but also have better mood, sharper memories, lower heart risk, and stronger immunity. I ask that you forgive the pun, but when sleep is improved, it’s like night and day!

I evaluate patients in my office with a comprehensive history and physical and administer home sleep tests to look for sleep apnea as well as insomnia studies to look at brain waves while sleeping. I am taking new patients.

Since the pandemic, I have become a huge fan of the Food Network, falling in love with Chef entrepreneur Bobby Flay, and perfected queso fundito with roasted poblano chili sauce. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family in intimate groups outdoors, watching kitty videos on Facebook, and fantasy fiction on Netflix.

With your background in internal medicine, how did you learn so much about how dentists work in their clinic?

While my internal medicine background has absolutely nothing to do with dentists, the majority of cases I treat are obstructive sleep apnea. With oral appliance therapy gaining recognition, OSA patients benefit when sleep physicians and dentists work together. I believe quality care requires a multidisciplinary approach.

How do you see the future of dentist-physician collaboration going as communications improve?

While I treat a wide variety of adult sleep disorders, the bulk of any Sleep Medicine practice is obstructive sleep apnea. As dentist-physician collaboration improves, I predict that patient care will be greatly improved, too! Now that oral appliance therapy is much more widely available and recognized as an effective and convenient treatment option, patients won’t be routinely prescribed CPAP but will have truly individualized care.