The Australasian Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AustADSM) will be giving a continuing professional education course in Oral Sleep Medicine (sleep disorders dentistry) in Sydney. The 8-module course is intended for dental professionals currently treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients using oral appliances.

 

Dentists are likely to have patients who need help with their snoring and OSA problems because they are having problems wearing their CPAP. Randomly making snoring appliances without adequate training is NOT the answer.

 

The course emphasises the multidisciplinary approach to sleep disorders dentistry with presentations from dentists, maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, ENT surgeons and sleep physicians, all of whom are highly experienced in practising in the field of oral sleep medicine.

 

Year 1 - 2018

 

Module 1

  1. The overview of Sleep and sleep disorders
    • Discover which patients in your practice are at risk of OSA and recognize how snoring and sleep apnoea occurs
    • Adults
      • The science of sleep
      • Parasomnias outlined
    • The sleep breathing disorder continuum
    • Epidemiology of sleep victims
    • Children
      • The science of sleep and how different it is for kids
      • Parasomnias outlined
  1. Clinical/Technical Workshop
    • Signs and symptoms at initial evaluation in the dental chair
    • Important questions that need to be in the history examination forms
    • Items to include in your health history

 

Module 2

  1. The assessment of sleep and sleep disorders
    • Adults
      • OSA
      • Bruxism
    • Each participant will undertake a private sleep study, using an ambulatory monitor, and an in-hospital PSG to compare the results
    • Learn how to physically examine these sleep apnoeic patients
    • Identify the signs, symptoms and health risks of OSA
    • Be able to intelligently discuss all snoring and sleep apnoea treatment options with patients
    • Radiology for the OSA/snoring patient the use of CBCT
    • Understanding cephalometric and diagnosing airway volume for different dentofacial skeletal patterns, with reference to the position of the hyoid bone
    • Children
      • ENT
      • SDB
    • Become familiar with the anatomy and physiology of the airway

 

  1. Clinical/Technical Workshop
    • Process and protocol for clinical records
    • Review the practice management forms necessary to help with data retrieval and communication with physicians
    • Dental screening for SDB, including questionnaires with dental, head and neck examination

 

Module 3

  1. The diagnosis of sleep disorders
    • Parasomnias
    • OSA/OSAS
    • Bruxism and the arousal index
    • comorbid factors
    • The link between OSA and depression
    • cardiovascular
    • respiratory
    • nutritional
    • Myofunctional
    • Diagnosing functional tongue space and the role of the oral Myologist in the treatment of snoring and OSA
    • The role of mouth breathing and poor levels of CO2
    • Diagnosis and management of TMD in mandibular repositioning appliances
  2. Clinical/Technical Workshop
    • Process and protocol for diagnostic pathway

 

Module 4

  1. The treatment of sleep disorders
    • Overview of therapies
    • Dental related therapies
    • Nutritional adjunct therapies
    • Recognize medical protocols used to evaluate, diagnose and treat OSA, including details of medical diagnostic (polysomnography) and medical/dental treatment modalities
    • Learn how to treat the snorer/apnoeic patient in the dental office while making sure you don’t get into medico-legal trouble
  2. Clinical/Technical Workshop
    • Important evaluation data from diagnostic pathway (sleep data- comorbid data- parasomnia data)

 

Year 2 - 2019

 

Module 5

  1. The process of assessment and diagnosis for Australian conditions for the dental clinic
    • The role of the ENT surgeon in diagnosis and treatment of nasal obstruction/OSA/snoring
    • Allergies and their contribution to nasal obstruction
  • Adult Lab Based testing
    • Neurological conditions
    • Parasomnia
    • Comorbid complications
      • Cardiovascular
      • Respiratory
      • CO2
    • Correlation between chronic fatigue syndrome and upper airway resistance concerns
    • The relationship between SDB and GERD, bruxism, and TMD — pathophysiology and management.
  1. Clinical/Technical Workshop
    • Interpretation of data into Tx and Rx
    • Criteria for appliance choice for cases

 

Module 6

  1. Adult home sleep testing
    • Phenotyping
    • Exclusion criteria
    • ECG assessment
    • When HST a recommendation for further investigation via Lab based assessment
  • The medical model for diagnosis and treatment of SDB,
  • Home monitoring devices for initial screening and subsequent monitoring of mandibular advancement device (MAD) therapy.
  • Child sleep testing
    • ENT
    • Lab based testing
  1. Clinical/Technical Workshop
    • HOW TO TAKE THE BITE with repeatable and recorded data to find the sweet spot
    • The use of a Pharyngometer and Rhinometer

 

Module 7

  1. Adult therapies for OSA
    • CPAP
      • Use
      • Contraindications
      • Maintenance
      • Follow-up
      • Understanding CPAP and How it Works
    • EPAP, or Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure, as a compact and portable new treatment to help sufferers manage snoring
    • Oral appliance therapy
      • SWAT analysis of Oral appliances
        • Material choices
        • Bite techniques
        • Design versus case selection
      • Phenotyping
      • Prescribing- getting that prescription
      • Follow-up
      • Learn how to identify and manage the potential side effects of oral appliances
      • How to take a proper bite registration for your snoring appliance
      • Deliver a laboratory-fabricated sleep appliance
      • Titration protocols for oral appliances and how anatomy effects appliance selection
    • Myofunctional therapy
      • Upper airway dilator muscles – structure, function and role in OSA
      • Application
      • Assistance
      • Combination therapy
    • Combination therapies for OSA
      • CPAP
      • OAT/CPAP
      • Myo/OAT/CPAP
      • Co-therapy using CPAP and customised oral appliances
      • Snoring appliance design for the partially edentulous and fully edentulous patient
  2. Clinical/Technical Workshop
    • Follow up testing- what are we looking for? getting the prescription- the protocol

 

Module 8

  1. Paediatric therapies for OSA
    • ENT A/T
    • CPAP
    • Myofunctional
    • Tongue tie
    • Early Orthodontic Intervention
    • SDB in children and review of paediatric sleep disorders with related co morbidities.
    • Maxillary expansion and its long-term effects on airway dimensions and breathing
    • The relationship between ADHD and poor sleep cycles
    • Using dento-facial orthopaedics to treat sleep apnoea

Marketing and Other items

  • Dietary weight loss and surgical methods to reduce obesity.
  • Airways and the role of Orthognathic Surgery
  • Ethical tips to market the sleep disorder part of your dental practice
  • A review of surgical options and their predictability.
  • Sleep Laboratory Visits to various clinics in Sydney
  • Patient education and the Sleep Health Foundation
  1. Clinical/Technical Workshop
    • Assessment of success with MRA

 

WHAT MAKES THE MINI-RESIDENCY DIFFERENT?

  • Our instruction comes from evidence-based literature.
  • The mini-residency is designed to cover the pre-requisite topics to give dentists an acceptable level of education, training and experience in this growing area of dental practice.
  • We don’t promote one “miracle” appliance or diagnostic/monitoring equipment that requires a huge investment.
  • The AADSM offers ongoing support and monthly webinars to keep you updated on the latest medical and dental changes
  • Participating clinicians will gain a working knowledge and the confidence to offer oral appliance therapy to patients with sleep-disordered breathing.
  • We are an ADA and AGD-PACE approved continuing education provider.