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

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This week:

• What We Can Learn From the World’s Healthiest Man

• Vitamin D & Kid's Sleep Disorders

• Sleep: the neglected life factor in adults with intellectual disabilities

• How-to Guide: Introduce Sleep Into Your Practice

Let’s learn!👇

Clinical Corner

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

1/ Sleep Hygiene From the Healthiest Human in the World

Bryan Johnson, a technology mogul and sleep enthusiast, shares some insights about how prioritizing sleep not only benefits personal health but can also indirectly enhance productivity and efficiency in a professional setting, such as in a dental clinic.

The Overhaul: A Shift in Perspective

While Johnson built a successful payments software company, he found himself sacrificing sleep and overall health for the pursuit of a perfect product. This led him to reconsider his priorities and to emphasize health and wellness over work, viewing technology as a service for these goals rather than the other way around. This shift calls for the end of the "martyr for technology" era and encourages a balanced life where technology aids in achieving optimal health and wellness.

Building the Perfect Sleep Environment

Johnson walks us through his ideal sleep setup which includes:

1. Blacked-out windows: for a darker room promoting better sleep.

2. A temperature-controlled bed: using a product called "Eight Sleep" which modulates temperature throughout the night.

3. Grounded sheets: there's evidence suggesting benefits of grounding on sleep.

4. Air filters: two air filters are used to maintain optimal air quality.

Prioritizing Sleep

Maintaining a consistent sleep routine is key. It should be a non-negotiable part of your schedule. Stress management is also crucial, as anxiety and rumination can disrupt sleep.

Takeaway

While every patient's sleep routine may look different, Johnson's strategies provide clinically backed suggestions to improve our patient’s sleep quality. The application of these strategies could lead to improved personal health, which in turn could enhance patient care and clinic productivity. Let's make sleep a priority and not just hand out Mandibular Advancement Devices expecting them to solve all every problem.

2/ Vitamin D & Kid's Sleep Disorders

Dental health isn't isolated; it's intertwined with overall health, and understanding this can help deliver comprehensive care. A recent study shines a light on Vitamin D's role in sleep disorders among children and adolescents, a conversation that could be integrated into routine dental checkups.

1. The 'Sunshine' Vitamin's Role in Sleep 🌞 

Vitamin D, typically associated with bone health, plays a key role in sleep regulation. The study discovered a significant link between vitamin D deficiency and sleep disorders like insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and restless legs syndrome (RLS).

2. Global D-ficiency 📉 

Vitamin D deficiency isn't isolated; it's a worldwide issue affecting over a billion people, including kids. This deficiency has been tied to a range of health issues, extending far beyond bone health.

3. Vitamin D's Influence on Sleep 😴 

Vitamin D influences sleep through neurochemical mechanisms tied to its receptors in the brain. It works in a variety of ways, including inducing neuroprotection, reducing oxidative stress, and regulating calcium homeostasis.

4. Immune Connection and Melatonin 🌒

Vitamin D also interacts with the immune system and melatonin, which may play a part in regulating sleep and circadian rhythms.

Despite the need for more research, there's a clear link between vitamin D deficiency and sleep disorders in children. Dental professionals have an opportunity to educate patients about the importance of Vitamin D, fostering better sleep and healthier smiles.

3/ Sleep: the neglected life factor in adults with intellectual disabilities

According to a comprehensive review in the BJPsych Bulletin, sleep disorders like sleep-disordered breathing and insomnia are more prevalent among adults with intellectual disabilities. Here's the data that matters:

Sleep disorders affect about  32% of individuals with intellectual disabilities, causing fragmented sleep and increased disturbances, especially in severe cases.

* Certain sleep disorders are associated with genetic syndromes and neurodevelopmental disorders.

* The fallout from sleep disorders isn't only physical and mental health issues - it also leads to challenging behaviors and increased caregiver stress, driving up healthcare utilization.

And yet, despite this higher prevalence, there's a glaring research gap in optimal assessment and treatment strategies for this group. Sleep disorders in people with intellectual disabilities are common, with 24% to 86% of children affected and 8.5% to 34.1% of adults. Specifically, a study found 72% of older adults with intellectual disabilities experience sleep difficulties.

Research in the area of mental and physical health disorders in people with intellectual disabilities is sadly limited. Understanding the types of sleep problems and their influencing factors is key for their effective assessment and management.

In understanding these sleep problems, we need to consider a range of factors, including behavioral challenges, psychotropic medication, mental health conditions, and respiratory diseases. With this data, dental professionals can provide more personalized and effective care for patients with intellectual disabilities.

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Business of Sleep

📈Better businesses = more lives saved!

📣 Introducing New Services to Your Dental Practice: A How-To Guide

Looking to offer a new service? Maybe you're considering venturing into the realm of sleep dentistry. Here's your three-step cheat sheet to make it a successful addition to your practice.

🔍 The Mystery of the Missing Patients

One practice I chatted with expanded into sleep dentistry two years ago, only to find two years later that their patient numbers hadn't budged an inch. The doctor had taken many hours of continuing education and made a significant investment in travel and equipment to ensure its success. Unfortunately, A classic blunder had occurred: they'd prepped their office and team but hadn't given their patients the memo. If you want to avoid this oversight, check out these patient-focused tips.

1.💌 Send an Announcement

Make a formal introduction for your new service. Spell out what it is, why it's beneficial, and nudge patients to either inquire further or refer someone who could benefit from it. Consider using traditional mail for this – it gives a sense of importance and personal touch that an email might not deliver.

2.📜 Script the Intro

Create a script to ensure every patient hears about the new service – whether they're a potential candidate or not. Why? They could spread the word to others who are. Let's not forget, the average American has a social sphere of 400 contacts – that's a potential pool of 400 referrals!

3.📣 Launch a Campaign

Keep the momentum going with a quarterly campaign that provides updates or new information on the service. Use a blend of online and print media, and keep it educational rather than salesy. Patients should view it as helpful info from their trusted practice, not a sales pitch.

🔑 Key Takeaways

The key to successfully launching a new service lies in effective communication. Make sure your patients know about the service, encourage them to refer others, and maintain a consistent communication strategy.

Implementing these steps led to one practice tripling its sleep dentistry patients in two years, making the service not just profitable but also fulfilling for the doctor. It was a triple crown achievement: the doctor enjoyed providing the service, the patients benefited, and the practice revenue saw a significant boost.

So, ready to add a new service to your practice? Make sure you prep your patients as well as your practice!

Something Sweet

🍭Stuff so sweet you might get a cavity..

Oh how far we have come…