Dentists are uniquely positioned among healthcare providers to easily evaluate signs of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Oral appliance therapy performed by a qualified dentist can also be an effective treatment, literally saving lives. In this lecture, Spencer will review the basics of normal sleep, snoring, and OSA in adults and children. You will most likely be thinking that YOU and everyone you know must have sleep apnea before he is through! Don’t worry though, he will also cover diagnosis and treatment of OSA, including the dentist’s role. If you or someone close to you may have sleep apnea (like your patients), you owe it to yourself and them to take this course and potentially change — or save — their lives. This course is a prerequisite for the hands-on dental sleep medicine program.
Learning Objectives:
Understand normal sleep and how to improve sleep.
Understand how OSA affects adults and children.
Become familiar with the dental aspects of screening for OSA.
Understand possible problems and side effects of oral appliance therapy.