More than 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which often occurs with obesity and when additional tissue thickens the wall of the windpipe, making it difficult to keep open. And sometimes it is because the throat muscles relax more than normal. While the most common treatment option is the use of a CPAP machine, many patients are non-compliant to this and do not want to undergo surgery. This is when an oral appliance might be helpful.
On top of sleep apnea, as dentists we also have to keep in mind that orofacial pain covers a wide spectrum of symptoms that can be exhibited in many areas of the head and neck with most complications associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder (TMD). An essential part of routine dental examinations for all patients–and the gold standard for diagnosing TMD–is based on their history, clinical examination and imaging when necessary.
Put orofacial pain and sleep apnea together, and there’s even more for us dentists to work on. But we can help. Join us for a two-day education program webinar that will cover dental sleep medicine and orofacial pain that also discusses TMJ disorders.
What you will learn
During this two-day introduction to TMD and dental sleep medicine webinar we will cover a lot. Each area will help you not only enhance your dental practice, but also improve the quality of care your patients receive at each visit.
Here is what you will learn during this webinar:
- Basics of sleep, sleep medicine and sleep disorders.
- The role of the dentist in sleep medicine.
- Screening for sleep disorders.
- Oral appliances for airway and breathing disorders.
- Jaw and bite registration for construction of an oral appliance.
- How to perform a comprehensive examination.
- What it means to take a pain history and how to do it.
- Splint therapy for TMJ disorders.
- Orofacial pain and what you should be aware of.
Join us September 8-9 for this two-day webinar for an introduction to TMD and dental sleep medicine.
