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

You can think of this newsletter like a Capri Sun (remember those?). Refreshing, and fun to open.

This Week We Cover:

• Screen Tim Before Bed

• CBD and Better Sleep

• Curing Diabetes with Surgury

• Do You Have A-Players in Your Office?

7-minute read today, let’s dive in!👇

Clinical Corner

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

1/ Screen Time Before Bed: A Nightmare for Adolescents' Sleep

Understanding the direct impact of screen time on adolescents’ sleep quality can be crucial for your young patients' overall health. A recent nationwide study provides valuable insights on the matter.

About the Study

Researchers examined data from 10,280 adolescents aged between 10-14 years. They looked into bedtime screen use and its correlation with sleep disturbances.

Key Findings🕵️‍♀️

• Approximately 16% of adolescents experienced some difficulty falling or staying asleep in the past two weeks.

• A larger proportion, 28%, faced overall sleep disturbance based on reports from caregivers.

• A higher risk of sleep disturbance was found among adolescents who had a TV or an internet-connected device in their bedroom.

• Leaving the phone ringer on overnight led to more sleep disturbances compared to turning off cell phones at bedtime.

• Activities like streaming movies, gaming, listening to music, talking/texting on the phone, and using social media were all linked to difficulty falling asleep and overall sleep disturbances.

What Does This Mean for Dental Practices?

For dental professionals, these findings can shape patient consultations and advice given to parents. Here are a few takeaways:

1. Encourage digital detox: Recommend a “digital detox” period before bedtime. This can reduce exposure to blue light, which disrupts the body's natural sleep cycle.

2. Advise creating tech-free zones: Encourage parents to create tech-free zones, particularly in bedrooms, to promote better sleep.

3. Promote phone hygiene: Advise turning off phone ringers at night. Uninterrupted sleep is crucial for cognitive development in early adolescence.

4. Educate about sleep hygiene: Raise awareness about the importance of good sleep hygiene. Restful sleep can positively impact oral health by keeping inflammation and gum disease at bay.

By integrating these insights into your practice, you can help contribute to your young patients' overall wellness, including their dental health.

2/ CBD and Better Sleep

Getting a good night's sleep is crucial to overall health, and many of your patients might be struggling with this. A recent randomized controlled trial has illuminated the potential of CBD, a non-intoxicating compound derived from the cannabis plant, to improve sleep quality.

The Study Lowdown

The study, spearheaded by Dr. Paul J. Muchowski, examined the effects of specific CBD-terpene ratios on sleep physiology in six insomnia patients over 28 days. Here's the 411:

What they found: This CBD-terpene combo significantly increased both the absolute time and relative percentage of slow wave and REM sleep.

Why it matters: These stages of sleep are vital for the immune system, tissue regeneration, cognition, and memory. Many prescribed sleep meds actually decrease these stages, making this a potentially game-changing discovery.

Keep in mind: Muchowski's company, Defined Research Inc., aims to commercialize the formulation, so it's always good to approach such findings with an open but critical mind.

What Sets this Study Apart

1. Purity, purity, purity: While other CBD sleep studies often used murky hemp extracts, this one utilized highly purified CBD and terpenes. This helps attribute sleep benefits directly to these substances.

2. Bye to biases: Unlike many studies that rely on subjective feedback, this one used a wrist-worn sleep tracker to collect objective data on sleep quality.

3. THC-free zone: While other studies may use CBD treatments laced with THC (the intoxicating element of cannabis), this study steered clear, removing the potential bias this might introduce.

Turning Findings into Actions

If the results hold up in larger clinical trials, this CBD-terpene ratio could be a promising alternative to traditional sleep meds. Here's how to navigate these emerging insights:

1. Educate your patients: Some might already be using CBD for insomnia. Keep them updated on this new research and potential benefits.

2. Advisory role: Guide patients on checking CBD products for manufacturing quality and backing research. High levels of THC should be a red flag.

3. Keep an eye out: Future studies, including one focusing on adolescents with autism, may further illuminate CBD's role in sleep regulation.

As always, research is a moving train, and it's our job to stay on top of it for our patients. This study adds a new car to the train, but let's see where it ends up on the journey!

3/ New Study Unlocks Potential of UAS Treatment in Preventing Diabetes

Alright, dental aficionados! We all know the drill when it comes to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and its hefty link with obesity. Today, we're diving into a fresh-off-the-press study that's set to reframe our approach to tackling diabetes in OSA patients. Are you ready to sink your teeth into this?

The Study Deconstructed

Till now, treatments for OSA, like Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), have shown conflicting results on their impacts on diabetes. But the spotlight's now on Upper Airway Surgery (UAS), and things are looking promising.

Examining over 34,000 adult OSA patients, the study compared those treated with UAS (3,794 patients) to those on CPAP (30,491 patients).

Breaking Down the Results

Here's the exciting part:

• New Diabetes Cases: A notable reduction in the UAS group, with 172 cases compared to 333 in the CPAP group.

• Risk Difference: The UAS group exhibited a solid -0.114 risk difference and a Relative Risk (RR) of 0.415.

• Survival Rates: Talk about a game-changer—UAS patients had a survival rate of 89.33%, compared to 76.54% for the CPAP group.

The Prognosis?

Here's where the rubber meets the road: both UAS and CPAP show potential in preventing new-onset diabetes in our OSA patients. But, the twist in the tale is that UAS seems to have a stronger preventive effect than CPAP.

Is surgery always the silver bullet? Not necessarily. But if there's one major takeaway from this, it's that promoting better nasal breathing can have a transformative impact on our patients' overall health. So, let's make sure it's a priority on our treatment planning radar. No matter what path we choose, every breath our patients take matters, and it's our job to educate its importance.

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Business of Sleep

📈Better businesses = more lives saved!

Unpacking the A-Player Puzzle!

Ever wondered why some members of your dental practice outshine others, even though they all seem to have similar qualifications and experience? It might have to do with how well they fit the specific needs and culture of your practice. Here’s how to find your dental practice’s A-players.

💡 Are You Hunting for A-Players?

Not all companies are built by A-players alone. They’re high-cost, tough to find, harder to retain, and they hog the spotlight. So, what do you do? You have two options:

1. Appoint A-players where they'll create the most value and strive to shape others into A-players.

2. Chase all A-players and risk fostering a space that repels them.

The key is honesty. Recognize which strategy works for your practice and stick to it.

🎯 Which Role Needs an A-Player?

Your A-players should occupy roles that set your practice apart from competitors, are bottlenecks to your growth, and protect your competitive edge. Say you run a dental office. Are your A-players the dentists or the front desk staff? Consider who shapes your patient's experience the most.

🔍 How Do You Spot an A-Player?

Despite different contexts, A-players tend to have a few common traits:

• Independent Thinkers: They question, innovate, and discover unseen paths.

• Humble & Curious: They're always seeking knowledge, acknowledging that they don't have all the answers.

• High Standards: No corners cut, zero tolerance for complacency, and full ownership of wins and losses.

• Energy Raisers: They uplift those around them, creating leaders.

• Focused: Comfortable with both big picture and details, and ready to exert extra effort to achieve outcomes faster.

Remember, A-players who fit your specific context and culture are rare. If you find one, do what it takes to get them on board.

🎣 How Do You Retain an A-Player?

A-players are unique, but they often value:

• Challenge: They love tackling hard work. Dare them to do great things.

• Impact: The work should matter. They need to connect with your mission.

• Autonomy: A-players crave control over their time and tasks. Empower them.

• Growth: They desire rapid skill development. Don't stand in their way.

• Reward: They want to know their time is well spent. The scoreboard might be monetary, but not always.

🏭 Building Your Dental Talent Factory

To build a thriving dental practice, you need to master three key elements:

1. Recruiting: Find more A-players. Use uncommon interview techniques to discover top talent.

2. Development: Lift your B-players. Clear expectations and empowering feedback can work wonders.

3. Discipline: Get rid of C-players. They lack the skill or the will to perform and can drain your team.

Remember, everyone's an A-player in the right context. Find those who thrive in your dental practice and hold on tight! When your talent factory is well-oiled, you’ll be able to achieve more with fewer resources. A principle all A-players would endorse.

Something Sweet

🍭Stuff so sweet you might get a cavity..

Something to get the tear ducts going for you..

Miscellaneous

😅P.S. … I forgot something

🎲 Shakeup in Dental D2C: The Vegas Edition

In the decade-long standoff between dentists and direct-to-consumer (D2C) dental companies, Nevada just upped the ante. The Silver State's new law now requires an in-person consultation before using any orthodontic appliance, making it the first state to enforce such a measure.

This is a landmark moment, especially in light of ongoing battles with D2C companies like SmileDirectClub (SDC), infamous for selling clear aligners directly to consumers. Critics argue this bypass of professional dental consultations jeopardizes patient health.

Despite heavy lobbying against the bill, the law still passed, signaling a potential shift in the D2C vs. dental professionals narrative. With similar legislation being considered in Florida, we may be seeing the beginning of a trend.

SDC's been feeling the heat lately, settling with the DC Attorney General over hushing negative patient reviews. Add in financial losses and sinking stock prices, and the future of D2C dental companies seems shaky.

The question remains: can D2C companies recover, or is it game over? For now, the house rules say—what happens in Vegas, better include a dentist! 🎰