Good Night, and Thanks Doc
Dentists today are having a bigger impact in helping their patients get the sleep they need. Here we take a look at 5 offerings available to assist in guiding your patients to a good night’s sleep.
The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine describes dental sleep medicine as an area of dental practice that focuses on the use of oral appliance therapy to treat sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Great strides have been made in helping patients get a better night’s sleep.
Here we share 5 offerings from companies who know just how important it is to get essential sleep and who know what a big role dentists can and should play in providing these sleep solutions.
The Vivos Method
The Vivos Method represents the first clinically effective non-surgical, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical, cost-effective and pain-free solution for treating patients suffering from breathing and sleep issues, such as mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, that arise from dentofacial abnormalities. Proven effective in approximately 27,000 patients around the world treated by more than 1,500 trained dentists, The Vivos Method is a multidisciplinary treatment protocol that uses innovative oral appliance technology to alter the size, shape and position of the tissues that comprise a patient’s upper airway. Through opening airway space, The Vivos Method may significantly reduce symptoms and conditions associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Patients who undergo treatment with this solution typically do so for approximately 12 to 24 months, with potentially significant, lasting airway improvement.
720-399-9322
Airway Metrics®
The National Institute of Health estimates between 50-70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders, and 80-90% of them remain undiagnosed. These are existing patients in need, and unaware how easily their next dental visit could change their lives—and dreams.Sleep disorders have the potential to stand in the way of your competitive edge, interpersonal relationships, safety, health, and overall quality of life.In the management of these sleep disorders, Kettenbach’s Airway Metrics® 3-component system is used to help clinicians identify the ideal protrusive and vertical placement of the mandible to open patients’ airways.The primary components consist of a Snore Screener (SS) and 15 Mandibular Positioning Simulators (MPS) housed in a cassette. The secondary component includes 9 Vertical Titration Keys (VTKs) that quickly reveal how certain anterior/vertical mandibular positions increase the airway, and provide a guide for further tuning with the MPS. These keys work with any sleep appliance.Airway Metrics provides for 50+ vertical and horizontal positions to create a faster, more accurate and comfortable patient outcome for oral appliance therapy.
SleepConnect
SleepConnect by SleepArchitects is described as easy, turnkey, and rewarding. Treating sleep patients reportedly has never been easier with this turnkey system that handles the entire pre-treatment experience seamlessly for patients and staff. SleepConnect will qualify your current patients. No marketing needed. Digital sleep screening, sleep testing with MDs, patient education, patient financing and case acceptance will all be done for you. You will be delivered patients who are qualified, accepted treatment and ready for impressions or scans, according to the company. Being sleep device agnostic is key–you choose from over 15 FDA-cleared designs. Clinicians can give it a try with a money-back guarantee. Watch this 2-minute explainer video: https://doctors.sleeparchitects.com/get-started
SICAT Air
SICAT Air enables all dental practitioners to screen their patients for signs of upper airway constriction. This intuitive software analyzes the patient's CBCT by automatically calculating various airway parameters such as volume and diameter. Thus, by detecting particularly nocturnal breathing problems at an early stage, dentists can be the key to helping diagnose sleep apnea and thereby preventing serious secondary diseases. With just a few clicks in SICAT Air dental practitioners can impressively visualize the problem of sleep disorders and encourage the patient to seek therapy. Once the therapy decision is made in favor of a mandibular advancement splint, the optimum choice might be SICAT’s therapeutic appliance OPTISLEEP which can easily be ordered right from the SICAT Air software. The patient-individual and digitally designed 510(k) cleared SICAT OPTISLEEP is manufactured using the highest quality materials. It not only offers a high level of comfort due to its extremely slim design, but it is also easy to clean and comes with exchangeable connectors, allowing for extensive mandibular movement.SICAT supports the dentist’s patient consultation with extensive marketing materials which can be easily integrated into the practice and with the website optisleep.com, covering comprehensive information on OSA and the treatment using OPTISLEEP.
Digital Sleep Apnea Device (D-SAD)
Features of the Digital Sleep Apnea Device (D-SAD) from Panthera Dental include:
Truly customized patient-matched appliances, manufactured in an efficient “Industry 4.0” workflow; digital design, 3D printing, automation and AI. Fast 8-day turnaround and unparalleled first-time fit rates; Durable medical grade nylon gives high strength with minimal material, meaning low bulk, maximum tongue space and high bruxism resistance; Precision printing in nylon allows for optimum use of undercuts for retention. No soft tissue or incisor contact minimizes risk of irritation and tooth movement.
Additionally, 2 appliances designs are easily adjusted to an effective therapeutic position with interchangeable rods or clips. The warranty not only covers breakage during normal use for 36 months, but also during the first 60 days Panthera Dental will replace any device free of charge, no questions asked. And throughout the 36-month warranty period, if a patient needs to replace their appliance for any other reason, it will be supplied at half price.
