Jim Rohn famously said, “If you want to be successful, study successful people. If you want to be rich, study rich people. If you don’t want to make mistakes, study people who are making mistakes.” Dr. Erin Elliott has been tripped up more than a few times on her Dental Sleep Medicine journey, and she’s pushed through to build a wildly successful sleep practice within the walls of her bustling restorative practice. 

Dr. Elliott will candidly share her 7 biggest missteps and the actions she took to convert those fumbles into touchdowns. Um, wrong sport, but you get the picture. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Learn proper workflow from hygiene chair to delivery
2. Shorten the length of time for medical billing aches and pains 
3. Find and empower a team around you to support your gold medal ambitions
4. Why you cannot treat sleep like just another dental procedure 
5. Perfect the start of the race and provide a consult of a champion
6. Navigate the noise you hear from the sidelines of people trying to coach you
7. Know which tools and equipment are necessary to run your best race

Every prolific dental sleep medicine provider has a strong relationship with their medical counterparts. They are not islands. They build bridges and co-manage care for shared patients. Communication is key. 

Oral appliance therapy is wildly effective for many patients, but it is not a panacea. Nor is PAP, Inspire, or any other treatment modality. Due to robust marketing campaigns, Inspire has generated an immense amount of interest from patients suffering from OSA. What if you could coordinate with an Inspire provider to ride that wave and help a flood of new patients with hybrid therapy or even more that aren’t candidates for Inspire surgery? Fortunately, Dr. Chenet and Dr. Soose will explain how they’ve been able to treat innumerable patients through collaboration, communication, and coordination.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how to communicate with ENT colleagues
• Leverage Inspire’s marketing to treat more patients with OAT
• Describe the Inspire patient journey
• Recognize opportunities to collaborate with local surgeons to co-manage patients

Think of the last 50 year-old sleep patient in your chair. How did they get there? What if the signs and symptoms of their apnea were present 40 years ago, but no one recognized it?How many of your pediatric patients are on ADHD meds? How many of them perform poorly in school, have behavioral issues, or wet the bed until they’re way too old? 

Whether they’re your own kids, those of a friend, or your patients, helping them begins with information. What should you look for? How do you discuss concerns with parents? What treatments are available? How can you manage these patients in your dental practice today, so they aren’t there for an oral appliance 20 years from now? Dr. Becker, Dr. Weddle, and Dr. Nguyen will address these questions and others posed by the audience during this interactive panel discussion.

Learning Objectives:

1. Recognize signs and symptoms of pediatric sleep disordered breathing
2. Understand key talking points when discussing suspected pedo OSA with parents
3. Determine when patients should be referred to specialists
4. Explain the most common treatment options

Einstein said that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Hellah Sidibe might prove this right…or wrong. On May 15, 2017, Sidibe decided to run for 10 minutes every day for two weeks. After the premature end of a budding soccer career, he grew tired of making empty promises about going to the gym and wanted to hold himself accountable to a small, manageable exercise routine. He’s been running every single day since then, nearly 3,000 consecutive days. 

As his streak extended from weeks to years, Hellah has built a large social following. People clearly find meaning in his daily effort and gear knowledge and have joined him in his pursuits. He has been featured on CNN, Forbes, ESPN, and countless other platforms. Hellah turned his everyday commitment into a historical record in 2021 when he became the first black man to solo run across America: 3,061 miles, 14 states, 84 days—and he’s done it all with an infectiously positive energy.

Repeatedly doing the same thing can feel daunting and draining. Having a dream and seeing it deferred can feel like defeat. But it doesn’t have to be. The right perspective and mindset can help you find joy and purpose in every challenge. Hellah Sidibe is a running example of this.

Learning Objectives:

• Uncover purpose and meaning in all pursuits
• Turn challenges and obstacles into opportunities
• Maintain a positive mindset despite setbacks
• Pivot to optimize outcomes

Every practitioner knows that recurring referrals from medical providers require high-quality communication, but what other criteria do sleep physicians seek from potential dental sleep collaborators? And what are red flags from dentists that reach out to him? 

Joe Ojile, MD will provide attendees with strategies for optimizing collaboration between dentists, sleep physicians, and patients to deliver effective outcomes from defining roles in diagnosis & treatment to public education, and more.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define areas of responsibility in diagnosis and treatment
2. Leverage public education as a benefit to patients and practices
3. Identify key reasons patients choose therapy
4. Generate pathways to improve patient satisfaction

The most requested topic from last year’s TDS attendees was a deep dive on the end-to-end patient journey. However, one of the most common pitfalls for DSM practitioners is attempting to replicate a lecturer’s workflow that doesn’t gel with your own practice.

This panel discussion features dentists from different geographic areas—some with sleep-only practices—and others with busy sleep businesses within their restorative practices. They’ll share their unique patient workflows so you can actually learn from their best practices and incorporate what makes sense for your practice.

Learning Objectives:

1. Streamline processes to boost efficiency
2. Identify key points to make an impact with patients
3. Delegate to optimize doctor time

For as long as temporomandibular disorders have been recognized, treatment has focused on helping the patient improve their function and reduce their pain. Millions and millions of night guards and splints have been used to protect the teeth and perhaps alter parafunctional activity. The advent of Cone Beam CT technology was previously the most exciting advancement in the field of temporomandibular disorders, giving us the ability to view the condyles, surrounding structures, and the airway in 3 dimensions, which improved diagnosis and resulted in better outcomes. 

Now, regenerative medicine techniques are being used, such as PRF injections, and the results are nothing short of miraculous. As a dentist interested in sleep related breathing disorders, understanding TMD has always been critical, but oftentimes confusing and frustrating. Dr. Jamison Spencer will detail how the use of regenerative medicine techniques in the treatment of TMD is changing that.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review the most common TMJ disorders seen in the dental office.
2. Understand how these disorders can negatively impact oral appliance therapy outcomes and side effects.
3. Evaluate the evidence and case studies for use of PRF and PRP injections in the treatment of various TMJ disorders.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, sleep bruxism, and sleep breathing disorders are interconnected in several ways, impacting oral and general health. Research has shown that sleep bruxism can aggravate TMJ disorders by increasing stress on the jaw joint and muscles. Similarly, sleep breathing disorders can lead to disruptions in sleep patterns, which can exacerbate sleep bruxism and TMD symptoms. 

While the connections between TMJ disorders, sleep bruxism, and sleep breathing disorders are numerous, effective management of one condition can positively affect the others. For example, treating sleep apnea with an oral appliance can reduce the occurrence of sleep bruxism while also alleviating TMD symptoms. The relationship between these conditions underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment, considering the potential interplay between oral health issues and sleep disorders. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Explore the literature to understand connections between TMD, sleep bruxism, and SDB
2. Clear up any beliefs we may have had without scientific proof
3. Offer suggestions for how dentists can help their patients in these areas

Your patient is in the chair for a prophy, and they’re confused about why you’re talking to them about sleep quality, heart attacks, and the risk of stroke. There’s a disconnect.

Bridging the gap between their current state and desired future with a home sleep test can be the first step toward better health and improved quality of life. Communication and behavioral psychology aren’t taught in dental school, but they are the bedrock of the most successful dental sleep practices. Ryan C. Javanbakht will provide simple, effective techniques to help you engage patients to co-create an action plan toward a brighter, healthier future. 

Learning Objectives:

• Connect chief complaints to desired outcomes
• Identify areas of engagement to derive purpose
• Create agreement that drives action

Oral appliance therapy can improve sleep and overall health—and even save lives. You already know that, but your patients don’t. Perhaps you’ve gotten them tested, walked them through the process, and now you’re presenting treatment. Everything was going smoothly until your patient hit the brakes. It happens, but what if you could have taken steps to address their concerns beforehand? And when they do pop up, how you address objections is key to increasing case acceptance. 

Buckle up because Lesia Crawford is going to take you on a whirlwind 20 minute ride to share how you can lessen objections and deftly counter the 3 most common patient consultation issues so more patients enthusiastically say YES to the treatment they need.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the underlying concerns that can lead to objections
• Address patient concerns about efficacy and effectiveness
• Discuss insurance and financial hurdles
• Connect the dots and create lightbulb moments

Precision Oral Therapy has raised the efficacy of Oral Appliances in the treatment of patients with OSA.  Improved outcomes are dependent on collaboration between physicians and dentists.  This lecture will provide a framework for increasing referrals, improving patient care and enhancing outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Evaluate patients with Nasal Airway Obstruction.
2. Understand the role of nasal obstruction in patients treated with Precision Oral Therapy.
3. Collaborate with physicians to increase referrals and improve patient outcomes.

Finding the right team members can be a real challenge, whether it’s an assistant, sleep champion, or admin person. Onboarding and continually developing them so they remain long-term contributors to your practice’s success can seem like daunting tasks. Where do you find them? How do you keep them? 

These are the issues Dr. Kent Smith will tackle in this all killer, no filler presentation. He’ll share the techniques he’s used to scale his team to more than 110 employees. He can’t do it alone, and after this, you won’t have to either.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to get your team involved in the hiring process
2. Identify a “job fit” solution
3. Discover how to implement a “speed interview”

K codes, VA contracts, remote patient monitoring, innovative new devices, and emerging direct-to-patient models. These are just a few of the current issues affecting dental sleep practitioners like you. What does the future look like for dental sleep medicine, and how can you ensure you’re properly positioned for it? 

This expert panel discussion will provide unique insights from multiple vantage points, bringing together clinical, business, billing, and industry insights. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the emergent trends and technologies that will impact DSM practices in the coming year
2. Differentiate between signal and noise regarding DSM news
3. Position your practice for the best results with upcoming sleep protocols, innovations, and developments

Getting your team on board with dental sleep implementation can be a challenge. Who knew that getting thirty of them to lead the charge so you can treat hundreds of patients each month could be so much…FUN?

Mixing proven leadership practices, open communication, and more than a healthy dose of good vibes, Stacey Layman, DDS, DABDSM and her partner Lesia Crawford will share how they’ve scaled a can-do culture across three offices to treat more patients and develop their team into sleep superstars. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Know when to hire for growth
2. Cross-train and expand responsibilities for practice and professional growth
3. Attract and retain the right people and spot bad apples
4. Onboard new team members so they’re prepared to hit the ground running
5. Build a culture of camaraderie and fun