Dr. Steve Carstensen wrote the book on Dental Sleep Medicine - literally. He and his co-author wrote the seminal The Clinician’s Handbook for Dental Sleep Medicine.
He broke bread with the ZZZ Pack to discuss how he continues to educate, disrupt, push, pull, and cajole our sleep colleagues to do more to tackle airway issues. His excitement is palpable when he underscores dentistry’s ability to look beyond the oral cavity and focus on medicine.
Dr. Carstensen’s collaborative efforts with the ADA’s pediatric airway task force has the potential to effect generational change. He provides interesting updates on their burgeoning pediatric airway screener; who it’s being designed for; and what the American Academy of Orthodontics, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and other professional organizations think about it. You’ll be surprised.
What’s preventing sleep from getting more time in the dental school curriculum?
Why isn’t the needle moving on the percentage of the population getting proper OSA diagnosis? Who can do something about this?
Why is there a diagnostic bottleneck, and what role should dentists play?
If there is a shortage of sleep physicians, WHY is the AASM sending letters to state dental boards discouraging dentists’ involvement with sleep testing? What’d Dr. Elliott do when this came up in her home state of Idaho?
And what about companies preying on dentists with get-rich-quick DSM “turnkey” solutions?
Dr. Carstensen is one of the foremost thinkers in DSM. You’re likely to increase your DSM IQ by 3-4 points just by listening to this episode. Your patients and practice will thank you for it.
Steve Carstensen
Steve Carstensen, DDS, has treated sleep apnea and snoring in Bellevue, WA since 1988. He’s the Consultant to the ADA for sleep related breathing disorders, has trained at UCLA’s Mini-Residency in Sleep and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. He lectures internationally, directs sleep education at Airway Technologies and the Pankey Institute and is a guest lecturer at Spear Education, University of the Pacific and Louisiana State Dental Schools, in addition to advising several other sleep-related manufacturers. For the AADSM he was a Board Member, Secretary-Treasurer and President-Elect. From 2014 – 2019 he was Editor of Dental Sleep Practice Magazine. In 2019, Quintessence published A Clinician’s Handbook of Dental Sleep Medicine, written with a co-author.
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Meet the ZZZ Pack:
Lisa Moler is founder and CEO of MedMark LLC and publisher of several dental specialty publications. Her personal experience with obstructive sleep apnea inspired her to launch Dental Sleep Practice magazine.
Dr. Erin Elliott lectures extensively on dental sleep medicine and short term orthodontics and loves to help general dentists extend this life-saving service to their patients. She teaches sleep apnea with 3D-Dentists and Dr. Tarun Agarwal and privately coaches practices about sleep.
Jason Tierney is the founder of the North American Dental Sleep Medicine Symposium and has contributed to the development of numerous devices for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and migraine headaches. He also serves as editor-in-chief of Dental Sleep Practice magazine.