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Good Morning,

When people hear about dental sleep medicine, they usually think of snoring or feeling tired. However, there's another important aspect: the cost of ignoring these issues.

This month, we're exploring the financial side of sleep care. Treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) not only saves lives but also saves money for individuals, insurance companies, and employers.

We'll break down the numbers, help you communicate effectively, and provide tools to explain why it's important to screen for sleep issues from ethical, clinical, and financial perspectives.

In Today's Edition:

• The bottom-line impact of untreated OSA

• ROI from CPAP, oral appliances, and CBT-I

• Talking money without sounding transactional

• Coach Cathy's take on reframing sleep value

• Bonus stats & scripts to educate patients fast

5-minute read👇

Clinical Corner

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

Key Takeaways🔑

• Untreated OSA costs the U.S. ~$150B/year

• Treating OSA costs ~33% less than doing nothing

• Oral appliances are a cost-effective option for many

• Sleep care reduces healthcare claims, crashes, and costs

The Economics of Sleep

Treating OSA Doesn’t Just Save Lives, It Saves Money

Sleep medicine isn’t a luxury. It’s cost containment. When dentists screen and treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), they don’t just protect the airway; they protect pocketbooks.

New research confirms: Treating sleep pays off for patients, payers, employers, and your practice.

THE BOTTOM LINE

• The U.S. spends $149.6 billion each year on undiagnosed sleep apnea, including medical bills, lost productivity, and crash-related costs. Treating sleep apnea costs approximately one-third of what it would cost to leave it untreated.

RESEARCH ROUND-UP

• CPAP: Gold standard for moderate-to-severe OSA; proven cost-effective

• Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT): Cost-effective for mild-moderate OSA or CPAP-intolerant patients

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): Outperforms meds over time, especially via digital tools

Chair-Side Guide: Quick and Smart Screening

1. Ask 3 simple questions:

Do you snore? Are you often sleepy? Do you have breathing pauses during sleep?

2. Use the STOP-BANG questionnaire during check-ups.

3. Refer patients with positive results for sleep testing.

Match Treatment to Needs:

- Use CPAP for moderate to severe cases.

- Use Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) for mild cases, or if CPAP isn't tolerated.

- Combine therapies if needed. (Struggling with nasal congestion? Xlear nasal spray uses xylitol and saline to gently clear airways, reduce inflammation, and support healthy nasal breathing—day and night.)
- Record results and share with primary care doctors and insurance.

Refer and Educate for Insomnia:

- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is cost-effective and improves sleep over time.

- Develop local or online referral options.

Download a patient educational handout.

Download a clinician’s reference guide.

Educate Employers & Drivers:

- Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) lowers crash risks and injury claims.

- This is a valuable message for the Department of Transportation exams and employer collaborations

Chair-Side Script

“Untreated sleep apnea silently drains families, more meds, more copays, more missed work. Treatment usually costs less than one ER visit, and we’ll match it to what you’ll actually use.”

📊 Quick Stats: Sleep Facts That Sell Themselves

• $149.6B/year = U.S. cost of undiagnosed OSA

• 33% = Relative cost of treating vs ignoring OSA

• $7.9B/year = Crash savings if all clinically indicated patients used CPAP

• ↓ Claims = Healthcare usage drops after PAP therapy begins

Coach Cathy's Corner

When discussing value with patients, frame sleep care as an investment in their future capacity. Not just health insurance savings, but the energy to work, connect, sleep, and live better.

Patients may not understand polysomnography or CPAP pressures, but they understand dollars and the decisions that follow. Use that to guide the conversation with compassion. Quality sleep is one of the foundational pillars of health!

Something Sweet

🍭Stuff so sweet you might get a cavity..

CE Opportunities / Events

Miscellaneous

😅P.S. … A Word from Dr. Bennett & Cathy

You're not just treating fatigue. You're reducing ER visits, saving marriages, preventing accidents, and helping families regain control of their health and finances.

Talking sleep = talking value. Let’s keep leading that conversation—one airway at a time.

Until next time—breathe well, bill wisely, and keep going beyond the teeth.
— Dr. Mike & Cathy