COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the course, attendees will be able to: 

1. Comprehend the basic science of sleep medicine.

2. Understand the role of oral appliance therapy in sleep medicine and be prepared to initiate oral appliance therapy in your treatment regimen.  

3. Effectively screen patients for sleep disturbed breathing.

4. Understand the importance of diagnosis and why snoring only appliances without diagnosis are contraindicated.

5. Appreciate the importance of coordinated care with our medical colleagues and gain the skills needed to coordinate care for your mutual patients.  

6. Gain a new appreciation for when and why occlusion matters and how that determines the design of bruxism appliances. 

7. Master appropriate screening and diagnostic procedures and alternatives for increased access to care.

8. Document diagnosis and treatment appropriately for “Track 1 and Track 2 patients.”

9. Increase your referral pattern beyond your own patients.

10. Gain sufficient knowledge of the types of appliances that are available as well as being prepared to choose an appliance and effectively prescribe and manage the chosen appliance.

11. Gain the skills required to diagnose the potential untoward effects of oral appliance therapy and treat them accordingly.

12. Gain an appreciation for evidenced based therapy and have that evidence at your fingertips for your reference as needed

13. Appropriately apply the risk/benefit quotient when treating patients in relationship to any occlusal changes or the other untoward effects that may occur.

14. Appreciate the epidemiology of sleep medicine and use that evidence in treatment decision making

15. Return to the office with confidence in one’s knowledge not only in sleep disturbed breathing, but in issues that involve occlusion and joint dysfunction.