Now is the time to act. International sleep experts estimate that there are just about one billion people worldwide that suffer from sleep apnea. With so many people suffering from this sleep disorder, now is the time to begin providing dental sleep medicine services in your practice. The longer you wait, the more competition will be out there, which will make it harder for you to set yourself apart from the rest. So, what are you waiting for?
A new sleep apnea number
In a study presented by ResMed and shared in Sleep Review, an international panel of researchers looked to provide a clearer scope of the impact of sleep apnea. It was previously estimated that there were 100 million people with obstructive sleep apnea, which was presented to us in 2007 from a World Health Organization study using the best available data at the time.
Technology improvements allowed researchers to look at more advanced ways of detecting OSA and underreported statistics from other areas of the world. This new study looks at an impacted population that is significantly larger than previously identified.
What does this mean for dental sleep medicine?
It means we should speak with our patients even more about how sleep can affect their overall health. It should also get people to think more about whether or not their bed partner snores. The more you get your patients to think about sleep apnea, the better we can help them. Sleep apnea is not a disease that only affects older, overweight men–it can affect anyone.
Let’s take charge of our patients’ health and well-being by providing dental sleep medicine sources in our dental offices. By completing continuing education, you can be better equipped to treat these patients. And while it might only be a fraction of the 1 billion people in the world, it can still play a big impact on the health of our nation.
Contact me to learn more about dental sleep medicine and upcoming lectures you can attend to advance your knowledge of this growing condition.
