Physicians Are Batman. Dentists Are Screech.
In the sleep medicine world, physicians are Zack Morris and dentists have been relegated to the role of Screech Powers—eager and loyal but ultimately cast in the shadows to keep their opinions polite and their behaviors a wee bit weird. Dentists are invited to the conversation about Obstructive Sleep Apnea only after the “real decisions” have been made; usually long after the patient has already been handed an Rx for a CPAP machine and a brochure to reorder supplies.
But you’re a team player that’s fully committed to the multidisciplinary approach to treatment. You understand that not every patient should get an oral appliance. You trust your physician colleagues to do the right things for their patients. Plus, you have two MD referral sources that really get it and have truly made you a part of the team.
You would never say something like “CPAP sucks,” or even the gentler, data-backed “It works for many patients, but most patients don’t use it after six months.” No, no, not you. You just stay in your lane over there with Lisa Turtle, you wacky tooth technician.
At the same time, many sleep physicians (NOT ALL, but many) regularly dismiss the life-saving oral appliance therapy you provide by discrediting it when patients ask about it. You’d say they’re just misinformed. That’s true in most instances, but what do you say to physicians that choose ignorance. What do you say to your medical counterparts that say things like:
“Insurance doesn’t cover it.”
“They cause jaw pain.”
“They don’t work.”
Dentists are stuck in a weird paradox, a kind of SDB purgatory. You’re the marginal men and women of the sleep world. Think about it:
- You can’t market too aggressively, or you’ll be labeled a cowgirl.
- You can’t critique CPAP because that’s “anti-collaborative.”
- You must defer to physicians because they control diagnosis, referrals, and patient trust.
Rightfully, you invest in equipment, team training, medical billing systems, and you toil to stay current on emerging research. However, when it comes to identifying which therapy might actually work for the human being in your chair, you nervously freak out like when Jessie Spano when Zack Morris busted her popping NoDoz.
Who knew that NoDoz would be a gateway to Showgirls?
This would make sense if CPAP was universally adored by patients, or if dentists were willy-nilly dropping in OAT for any undiagnosed Mr. Belding, but that isn’t happening. Instead, dentists are politely waiting to be acknowledged while zillions of patients remain undiagnosed and millions go untreated.
The Irony No One Talks About
Lemme just say it, “CPAP is the gold standard.” It works—on paper, under ideal lab conditions, with perfectly compliant patients. Please put your middle fingers down. I’m a PAP proponent. It’s saved both of my parents’ lives…after months of struggling with it. Again, it works in many instances, but in the real world too many patients ghost it like a bad Tinder date.
Meanwhile, oral appliances are:
- Backed by reams of research.
- Recommended by AASM and AADSM’s joint guidelines.
- Preferred by many patients for comfort, cost, and portability.
- Actually used, like in patients’ actual mouths. At night. Every night. Voluntarily.
Yet OAT is still treated like a second class citizen. If SDB treatment was the Three Stooges, OAT has Shemp status.
Most patients would prefer a Herbst to a Shemp any day, every night.
And Dentists Should Sit Quietly & Await the Inflection Point, Right? Nah.
You shouldn’t light CPAP machines on fire in the parking lot. Nor should you sit silently and wait for regulatory or professional organizations to make change. You can promote oral appliance therapy without triggering physician turf wars. Here are four ways to do it:
1. Market with Data, Not Drama
Instead of saying “CPAP sucks,” try:
“CPAP works beautifully when used, but as you know many patients struggle to use it consistently.”
“Oral appliances aren’t a panacea and aren’t replacements for PAP. Based on the research, they’re alternatives when CPAP isn’t tolerated or for specific patient presentations.”
“Studies show similar health outcomes in mild-to-moderate cases when patients actually wear the therapy.”
You’re not attacking CPAP. You’re simply pointing out that a therapy only works if it’s used, and based on the research and your own experience, you’ve got a solution many patients will use.
2. Speak Mutual Benefit, Not Marketing Gobbledygook
Keep your marketing word salad and hold the croutons. Most physicians don’t want brochure-speak. Find out what matters to the MD you’re talking to. According to Brandon Woltman, VP of Sales and Marketing at Star Sleep & Wellness, most physicians want to know the following:
- You’ll accept their patients’ insurance.
- You’ll properly and attentively manage the shared patient.
- You’ll keep the doctor apprised of patients’ progress.
Brandon uses the shorthand Cost, Care, Communication. He posits that if you are able to fluently articulate these core points, your referrals will grow. Translation: “I respect your authority. This is our commitment, and we’re not going rogue.”
3. Stop Competing & Start Co-Managing
Ask physicians exploratory questions. Consider verbiage such as:
- “Which patients do you think would do well with combination therapy—CPAP and OAT?”
- “Would you like us to handle follow-up compliance data and send summaries back to your office?”
- How can we collaborate, so patients don’t get lost between our offices?”
Suddenly, you’re not a competitor. You’re a team player who makes their life easier.
4. Educate Without Throwing Shade
Use scripted language like:
- “There are multiple treatment options including CPAP, oral appliances, surgery. Each has pros and cons.”
- “If CPAP is working for you, fantastic. If not, we have another option that might help.”
- “Your physician is always the quarterback. I’m here to help him help you get the care you need.”
Patients hear confidence. Physicians hear respect. You hear the fax machine buzzing with a new referral.
Time to Shine
As a dentist, you aren’t seeking to replace your physician counterparts. You’re asking for a seat at the adult table. You’re not anti-CPAP. You’re against untreated sleep apnea. And with millions of patients refusing or abandoning CPAP, ignoring oral appliance therapy isn’t a responsible option.
Speak up. Professionally. Collaboratively. Share data and “brag books.” Commit to communicate the way they want. And then do it.
After all, Screech never wanted to be Zach and Robin never sought to replace Batman. They were complementary and their respective dynamics benefited us all.
If you really want to hear how to drive more physician referrals from the physician liaisons of 3 of the busiest DSM practices in the country, be sure to attend this panel discussion at the 2026 Transform Dental Sleep Symposium. Angela Kowaleski of GoTo Sleep Center for CPAP Alternatives, Ben Sutter of SLEEP BETTER AUSTIN, & Brandon Woltman of Star Sleep & Wellness are going to tell you exactly how they do it.
