Editor’s Intro: Overcoming obstacles to Dental Sleep Medicine is within any practice’s grasp, if you screen, scan and understand protocols and processes.
Why, with all the excitement and evidence, are so few dentists integrating Dental Sleep Medicine? Here are three reasons we have found.
1- I don’t have the time to implement Dental Sleep Medicine
Screening. When time is such a limiting factor in practices, efficiency in screening and implementation is key. The “who’s at risk” stereotypes surrounding sleep apnea have long been discarded. The only way to determine who should be tested for sleep therapy is to ask the right questions. Adding the ‘screen every patient protocol’ with imagn™ Sleep Software has proven to be one of the most efficient ways to incorporate sleep into your everyday workflow. With the convenience of both a stand-alone cloud software and a Dentrix Connected module, imagn can work within any practice.
Scanning. Taking records for oral appliances takes time. Using digital technology makes your team more efficient with impressions, creates a faster turnaround time from labs, improves accuracy of fit and comfort of the appliances, and requires less expensive chair time adjusting them. This is a key component to efficiency in treatment. Every laboratory equipped to accept digital data is ready for the industry-standard files that the TRIOS can be set up to produce.
Leading prosthodontist Dr. Jonathan L. Ferencz believes that intraoral scanners like the 3Shape TRIOS will no longer be used just on specific cases but rather become a part of a practitioner’s daily routine. He says, “Basically, I see professionals using 3Shape TRIOS on not just any patient, but every patient.”
2- I fear changing the bite, patient dissatisfaction, and liability
The saying ‘airway trumps bite’ is true, but still a bit unsettling. To help protect yourself, 3Shape will soon release a new application: TRIOS Patient Monitoring. It documents and tracks bite and dentition changes. This, added with the convenience of having digital data and records for life, make intraoral scanners a key component of Dental Sleep Medicine. In addition, with 3Shape TRIOS intraoral scanner you get documented full-arch accuracy and an easy 3D bite registration. The result is consistently well-fitting appliances. The experience for the patient – no goop – and the wow factor of the technology also serve to create an ideal patient experience.
There are basic practice guidelines you must know. When consents are needed, how to store and track them, and how to work with the medical field. imagn Solutions, together with 3Shape, have put together an education program to teach just that – the practical approach to Dental Sleep Medicine. Understanding the protocols and processes is essential for efficient implementation and decreased liability.
3- I don’t know how to bill medical
As one of the most underutilized tools in dentistry, medical billing is seen as a negative, not the opportunity it truly is. imagn Solutions has a team entirely dedicated to helping practices succeed with medical billing. Sleep procedures, including the appliance, CBCT, office visits and even testing are some of the simplest procedures to submit claims for. Starting with education and supported by software, imagn is what many are acclaiming to be the most advanced, yet simple, software they have used. Truly a game changer for many practices. Whether you want to do the billing yourself or outsource to imagn Billing, there is a solution for every practice.
Learn the digital workflow of imagn Solutions and 3Shape in their ‘Practical Approach to DSM’ and ‘Medical Billing’ courses throughout the country in 2019.
Starting a practice in Dental Sleep Medicine can help your patients! See how Dr. William E. Williams navigated the process.