When treating your patients during their bi-annual dental visit, you may uncover another health issue such as obstructive sleep apnea. Because sleep apnea can be caused by various factors, including abnormalities with the patient’s mouth or jaw, many dentists are trained on sleep disorders. While minor cases of sleep apnea can be treated with a dental device, moderate to severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea may require a more robust treatment plan.
ApneaMed works hand-in-hand with dentists to ensure their patients receive the optimal treatment for their sleep apnea. Follow along as we explain how partnering with ApneaMed can benefit your dental practice and patients.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes the patient to stop repeatedly breathing throughout the night. In most instances, sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues in the individual’s throat collapse and block their airway.
Patients with abnormally shaped mouths or jaws may be more susceptible to sleep apnea. To reopen their airway, the individual often snores, chokes, or gasps for air — all while unaware that this is going on until a partner points it out. To limit the number of breathing disruptions experienced throughout the night, the patient must undergo treatment ranging from dental devices to continuous positive airway pressure therapy.
Traditional Dental Devices for Sleep Apnea
Depending on the patient’s specific needs, dental devices may provide the relief they need if their case is less severe. You may offer your patients one of the following dental devices:
- Mandibular Advancement Devices – A mandibular advancement device custom fits the individual’s mouth. It is used to push the individual’s jaw forward to help keep their airway open throughout the night.
- Mouth Guards – If the patient needs their jaw adjusted slightly to prevent the soft tissues from collapsing into their throat, they may require a mouth guard to slightly reposition their lower jaw.
- Tongue-Retaining Devices – When the individual’s breathing disruptions are caused by their tongue falling back into their throat as they sleep, you may recommend a tongue-retaining device to hold the tongue forward throughout the night and prevent it from slipping back.
However, if their sleep apnea test reveals that the patient has moderate to severe sleep apnea, a dental device may not be adequate to provide the relief they need. Partnering with ApneaMed ensures your dental patients get the proper treatment for their sleep apnea.
Benefits of Partnering with ApneaMed
Forming a partnership with ApneaMed provides your dental practice with countless benefits, including:
- Additional service offerings – Our team works hand-in-hand with dental practices, allowing you to add sleep apnea services to your list of menu options for patients. If your dentists discover a patient has sleep apnea, you don’t need to refer them to someone else — instead, you can treat them in-house with the team at ApneaMed.
- Increase revenue – Because you’ll be able to add on your service offerings, you will also be able to cast your net wider and take in a broader audience of patients. In doing so, you’ll bring in more revenue for your dental practice.
- Supporting material – We are your partner through and through, providing you with all the tools and materials you need to treat your sleep apnea patients. We'll provide you with everything your team needs from free patient brochures and screening tools to at-home sleep apnea tests and breathing equipment.
ApneaMed Offers Sleep Apnea Treatment Assistance To Dental Professionals
ApneaMed strives to provide an affordable solution to people suffering from sleep apnea. Our home test for diagnosing sleep apnea takes significantly less time than traditional sleep studies.
Offering this service to your patients is an easy way to expand your list of services and reach potential customers.
To learn more about our partnership program for dentists, please contact us.