Jason Tierney, Connector - Wordsmith - Runner

When I think about dental sleep conferences, I’m always reminded of the legendary tale of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a young aspiring composer.

Much of my time at the 2023 version of a specific dental sleep meeting in Philadelphia was spent listening to dentists voice their disdain for the meeting. Most – not all – of the speakers just read their slides on scientific research without clearly connecting it to clinical applications. The vendor floor featured many – again, not all – companies that didn’t provide innovative solutions to the problems their practices face. Then, there were the vendors themselves. Geezus Louisus, they had a thing or 10 to say about the meeting. They were physically on another level – like, literally on…

When it comes to Dental Sleep Medicine, we know our why. It’s time to shift gears and focus on the how. Start by outlining the path and setting objectives.

I’ve seen it happen in hundreds of dental practices, and I’d be shocked if it hasn’t happened in yours. You went to a CE course and learned about a revolutionary new product or service. The lights went on and EUREKA! this is exactly what your practice needs.

It’s crucial that your practice has key metrics established so you can set goals and track your progress toward attaining them. This enables you to identify what’s working and what isn’t.

The Flat Tire Theory changed my life several years ago. I've coined that term, but it probably has some cognitive behavioral therapy name, and you probably use it but call it something else. A dentist friend of mine was in the throes of selling his practice a few months ago. He shared some of his uncertainties and woes with me. I listened and eventually shared this story with him. Later he told me that it’d really left a mark on him, and he’s shared it with several other people, so I thought it might be useful to do the same.…

The sitcom jokes about snoring and annoyed bed partners really aren't funny. Snoring is not a laughing matter. See your doctor. Encourage your bed partner to do so if they snore. You might be saving their lives from sleep disordered breathing or a sleep-deprived murderous hiker.

When picking up a new book, I encourage you to ask what do I hope to get out of this and after reading it, challenge yourself with how am I going to apply what I’ve read to my life? If the answer sounds like my neighbor’s response, drop it like a hot porntato.

When I was in second grade, my parents allowed me to spend $30 of my First Communion loot on a ninja suit. For months before, I obsessed on the double-page ad in the martial arts magazine. An all-black ninja suit. The hood, the little tabi shoe things, the whole suit. I’d be able to fight the neighborhood bullies, catch blowgun darts mid-air, and wield my homemade nunchakus like a hybrid of Bruce Lee and Michael Dudikoff in American Ninja.

I hosted a ton of Dental Sleep CE events. Most attendees only cared about which appliances to use and how to get medical insurance to pay for treatment. I stressed that without an efficient screening program, a fluid referral system, and a repeatable testing workflow, the appliances and billing don’t matter because patients have to go through those other sections of the journey first. Most ignored me while salivating over sample appliances and room temperature fettucine. When you R.E.A.D. the room, the first two steps pose the greatest challenge for the majority of dentists: 1. RELATE 2. EXPLORE The third…