Dentists are often the first medical practitioners who notice undiagnosed sleep apnea symptoms in their patients. Blocked airways, wear on the teeth and gums, and other signs are all indicators that your patient may be living with sleep apnea or another kind of sleeping disorder. Here at Better Sunrise, we want to help dental staff to learn how to identify patients in the practice at risk for sleep apnea. That is a critical first step so dentists, hygienists and others who interact with patients in the office can let these patients know about the dangers of untreated sleep apnea and the benefits of treatment.
In our Dental Sleep Apnea Staff Training program, your team will learn about the most common dental signs and symptoms of sleep apnea and how to have impactful conversations with patients.
Learning how to identify patients in your dental office that have sleep apnea or are at risk, is a key part of an effective sleep apnea program. Dentists and staff members often mistakenly believe that, "they just don't see sleep apnea patients" in their office. What is much more likely is that they don't understand what to look for, and do not have systems or protocols in place that make it possible to connect with these patients. Statistically, it is very likely dentists see patients regularly that have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea and have a CPAP machine at home in the closet. It is estimated that the prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea in the general population is around 10%.
One of the benefits of scheduling a Better Sunrise Dental Sleep Apnea Staff Training program for your office is that your team will learn how to use a free, simple, validated sleep apnea screening tool that is used in hospitals and surgicenters across the country to identify patients with sleep apnea or at risk. Register for a Better Sunrise Dental Sleep Apnea Staff Training program now at: sleep.bettersunrise.net
