Good morning. This is More Than Teeth. The newsletter that helps dental sleep professionals get 1% better every week.

Clincial Corner got an upgrade this week with some readers input❤️ We love hearing from you.

Today’s topics:

• OSA Connection to GERD: Systematic Review

• Jaw Muscle Activity During OAT: A follow up

• Bed Partners Second-Hand OSA Can Be Cured!

• Building The Avengers in Your Practise

• Dental Floss Guitar🤯

Lets dive in👇

Clinical Corner

🥼Use the clinical corner as your secret weapon to impress your colleagues and patients!

1/ A systematic review: More than a Disrupted Sleep Issue

As dental sleep professionals, our jobs go beyond the oral cavity. A new systematic review urges us to listen closer to the subtle clues our patients provide - including their snoring habits.

Snoring & Sleep Disorders: A Closer Look

A comprehensive analysis of 5,299 research papers showed compelling correlations between snoring and other sleep-related disorders, like Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), and headaches/migraines.

Key Takeaways

1. Snoring isn't just an innocent byproduct of deep sleep. Evidence links it to higher occurrences of OSA, GERD, and sleep-related headaches.

2. The association between snoring and Sleep Bruxism (SB) or xerostomia is yet to be conclusively established. This field is ripe for further exploration.

What This Means for Your Practice

As sleep dentistry experts, it's crucial we don't dismiss snoring as merely a bothersome bedtime habit. Snoring could be a critical alarm bell, heralding the onset of more severe sleep conditions.

By investigating snoring in our patients, we can potentially detect and manage OSA, GERD, and sleep-related headaches early. This means improved patient care, better treatment outcomes, and an enhanced understanding of the intricate world of sleep health.

Remember, in the realm of dental sleep, each symptom is a piece of a larger puzzle. Our job? To connect the dots.🧩

2/ Jaw Muscle Activity Post-Mandibular Therapy in Sleep Apnea: A Follow-Up

Today we're talking Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and…

Jaw-Closing Muscle Activity (JCMA), and Mandibular Advancement Appliances (MAAs).

We've dug into the dense data and will break it down in a way that's as refreshing as your morning cup of joe. So, get ready!

Bite-Sized Data 📊

This study focused on the effects of MAA therapy on the JCMA in patients with OSA. Initially, 32 patients were recruited, but after exclusions, 18 remained for analysis (13 men and 5 women, mean age 49.4 years, mean BMI 28.5 kg/m²).

The results?

Significant reductions in JCMA time linked to respiratory arousal events when using MAAs. However, no effect was found on the JCMA time related to nonrespiratory arousals or on total JCMA time.

Interestingly, MAA therapy also positively influenced sleep stages, with a significant decrease in sleep stage N1 and increase in sleep stage N3. Also, MAA therapy brought significant improvements in the total arousal index, respiratory arousal index, median AHI, oxygen desaturation index, and snore time. Adherence to the therapy was reported to be quite high – about 97% of the sleep period.

On the flip side, there were side effects such as excessive salivation, dry mouth, bad taste, and temporomandibular joint sounds. Despite these, patient satisfaction ranged from a bit satisfied to very satisfied.

Key Takeaways 💡

This research brings the good news that MAA therapy can significantly reduce JCMA time related to respiratory arousals, which might help in easing OSA symptoms. However, no significant effect was found on total JCMA time or on JCMA time related to nonrespiratory arousals.

On the patient side, while some minor side effects were reported, most patients were satisfied with MAA therapy and showed high adherence to the treatment regimen.

3/ Snore No More: A Better Night's Sleep for Both

Have you ever wondered about the ripple effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? This study gives us some pretty eye-opening insights into the impact of OSA on bed partners. 🌙💤

The setup? 10 couples, with one partner in each suspected of OSA. They underwent polysomnography (sleep study to us in the biz) simultaneously, and half-way through, the patients were treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to nix snoring and those pesky obstructive breathing events.

Here's what they found:

📈 Before CPAP Therapy:

• Male patients had a median apnea-hypopnea index (AHI - episodes per hour of sleep time) of 26 (range 3-75)

• Spouses had a median arousal index (AI - arousals per hour of sleep time) of 21 (range 14-34)

• Spouses' sleep efficiency was at 74% (range 56%-80%)

 🎉 After CPAP Therapy:

• Patients' median AHI decreased to 7 (range 0-34)

• Spouses' median AI dropped to 12 (range 4-27)

• Spouses' sleep efficiency got a big boost up to 87% (range 64%-95%)

Now here's the kicker - these results were statistically significant. That's right, folks, a significant improvement in sleep quality for the bed partners! 🥳

If we consider an average time in bed for sleep to be 480 minutes (8 hours), the 13% increase in sleep efficiency (from 74% to 87%) translates to a bonus 62 minutes of sleep per night for the spouses.

Talk about a win-win! We're not just improving our patient's lives - we're making sleep a whole lot better for their bed partners too. 🛌✨

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Business of Sleep

📈Better businesses = more lives saved!

Successfully Implementing DSM into the Practice

Successfully incorporating dental sleep medicine (DSM) into your practice relies heavily on the engagement and commitment of your entire team. Here are eight actionable steps and strategies to involve your team effectively and facilitate the seamless integration of DSM into your dental practice.

1. Develop a Shared Understanding: Initiate team discussions about the significance of DSM and its benefits to your patients and practice. Provide access to workshops, courses, webinars, and conferences to ensure everyone gains well-rounded knowledge and training in the latest DSM advancements.

2. Cultivate Team Buy-In: Clearly articulate your vision and goals for implementing DSM in your practice. Encourage open dialogue, address concerns or hesitations, and emphasize the vital role each team member plays in the successful integration of DSM.

3. Allocate Dedicated DSM Time: Set aside a specific time each week, such as a half-day, for the entire team to focus exclusively on DSM. This will foster the development of necessary skills and understanding, allowing for a more effective transition.

4. Define DSM Responsibilities: Assign distinct roles and responsibilities related to DSM for each team member. Consider hiring a dedicated DSM coordinator to exclusively manage the dental sleep aspects of your business, ensuring clarity and focus for everyone involved.

5. Establish Clear Distinctions: Create evident differences between your regular dental practice and your sleep business. Implement transformational reminders such as unique phone greetings, distinct staffing on DSM days, and tailored daily structures to help your team mentally adapt when focusing on DSM.

6. Streamline Sleep Testing and Diagnosis: Equip your team with the necessary tools to guide patients toward local primary care and sleep physicians who facilitate prompt sleep study turnarounds. Train team members on incorporating home sleep tests or partnering with telemedicine-home sleep testing logistics providers.

7. Promote Collaboration and Innovation: Nurture a collaborative environment where your team can exchange ideas, address challenges, and devise solutions together. Regularly conduct team meetings to review progress, discuss setbacks, and explore new opportunities related to DSM implementation.

8. Track Progress and Offer Constructive Feedback: Continuously evaluate your team's progress in implementing DSM and provide constructive feedback. Acknowledge milestones and successes, address areas needing improvement, and maintain open communication channels to encourage team members to share their experiences and insights.

Engaging your team is critical when implementing dental sleep medicine into your practice. By following the actionable steps in this comprehensive guide, you can cultivate a supportive and collaborative environment that enables your team to excel in the field of dental sleep medicine. As a result, you will be able to provide improved sleep and overall health to your patients while expanding your practice's scope and reputation.

Something Sweet

🍭Stuff so sweet you might get a cavity..

Guitarist replaces the string with dental floss and it actually sounds good..

Miscellaneous

😅P.S. … I forgot something

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