Sleep Disordered Breathing: A Physiologic Dental Approach
- Posted on: Feb 25 2021
Course Type: Elective Courses
Sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), affects millions of people worldwide and has been associated with a range of systemic health concerns such as cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. As awareness continues to grow, medical colleagues are increasingly looking to dentists to assist in screening and participating in the management of these conditions.
OSA is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders and is often associated with airway compromise related to craniofacial structure and function. During sleep, relaxation of the surrounding musculature may contribute to airway obstruction. Dentists are uniquely positioned to recognize signs of sleep-disordered breathing and play a role in a collaborative, physiologic approach to patient care.
Are you prepared to expand your role in patient health?
This program provides an introduction to evidence-based dental sleep medicine and is designed to help dentists and their teams develop greater confidence in identifying, referring, and co-managing patients with snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. Participants will explore the relationship between airway, physiologic dentistry, and overall health, while gaining insight into how these concepts may be incorporated into clinical practice.
Discussion will also include patients presenting with Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), as well as an overview of diagnostic considerations and treatment pathways, including oral appliance therapy.
The goal of this course is to support dentists in becoming valued members of an interdisciplinary care team. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of how to communicate with patients about sleep-disordered breathing, review sleep study data at a high level, and better understand appropriate next steps within a collaborative model of care.
View our Course Information:
| Tuition: $3,695 | Prerequisites: None |
| Team Tuition: $795 | CE Credits: 21.5 |
| AGD Codes: 730 | Length of Course: 3 days |
The Objectives of this course are for the participant to be able to:
- Practice taking a Physiologic Sleep Bite
- Discuss sleep and breathing physiology; normal and pathologic
- Discuss the anatomy and physiology of airway and its relationship to OSA and TMD
- Discuss CBCT analysis in screening and treating OSA/TMD
- Employ OSA signs and symptoms into routine dental diagnostics
- Distinguish and differentiate OSA sufferers versus snorers with extreme accuracy
- Discuss why The Physiologic Approach is important
- Practice OSA Consultation examination/palpation
- Select what is needed in snoring and OSA appliances
- Interpret sleep studies
- Discuss how myofunctional therapy can help the OSA patient
- Operate Portable Monitors/Home Sleep Equipment
- Employ Combination Therapy – Jointly treating both TMD and OSA at the same time
- Manage skills to make OSA more practical, efficient and profitable
- Relate case details effectively with sleep professionals
Course Dates:
- September 17-19, 2026 (Las Vegas, NV)
| Instructed By: | |
|---|---|
| Dr. John Pawlowicz | |
| Dr. William G. Dickerson | |
| Dr. Heidi Dickerson |
See what others that have taken the course have to say:
Having been a veteran of Dental Sleep Medicine, I am amazed at how LVI goes beyond “appliance therapy” to truly helping patients find answers to where medicine has failed them. You truly cannot be a comprehensive dentist without caring for the “Airway.”
Dr. Nancy Nehawandian
If you have ever had just 1 patient that you couldn’t completely “fix” then OSA classes are a must. Way more than you realize has to do with what happens during sleep!
Dr. Jennifer Wallace
I know that this course is only the beginning of my journey into the treatment of sleep dentistry. This has not only “filled in the blanks” but opened my eyes to the possibility of really helping many patients but informed me of the true scope of the sleep apnea epidemic. This course was referred to me by Dr. Eric Coontz. I am so grateful that he sent me here.
Dr. Michael Egan
This course arms you with powerful knowledge for sleep physiology and how to apply it in extending and enhancing our patients lives through our own treatments and knowing when to refer. LVI education has changed my practice and lives of my patients in dramatic ways. It has been truly amazing and fulfilling journey that I hope never ends.
Dr. Michael Firouzian
