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Good Morning,

This is the second issue in the educational series: The Airway & Wellness Masterclass

Here’s a radical idea:
You don’t have to be a sleep doctor to ask great sleep questions.

Your patients trust you. They see you more than they see their primary care provider. And in many cases, their oral signs may be whispering about a sleep crisis before their body starts to shout.

In today’s issue, we’re helping you build confidence in airway screening—without overstepping your role. In fact, you’ll see how one simple reframe can empower your entire team.

In Today’s Issue:

• Signs you might be missing in your hygiene chair

• Screening tools that make airway questions easy

• What Dr. Bennett’s PhD research revealed about dentists’ confidence

• Cathy’s take on how nighttime inflammation disrupts sleep

• One powerful airway question to add to your intake form

  5-minute read👇

Clinical Corner

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

Key Takeaways🔑

You Already Know What to Look For

Let’s review a few airway red flags you may already be seeing every day:

• Bruxism or a scalloped tongue

• Mouth breathing, especially in children

• High, narrow palate or enlarged tonsils

• Poor healing after surgery or periodontal treatment

• Patients reporting clenching, fatigue, or “light” sleep

The real issue isn’t whether dentists notice these signs.
It’s whether they feel confident asking the next question.

From Dr. Bennett’s Dissertation

In his PhD research, Dr. Bennett found that confidence—not awareness—was the main barrier keeping dentists from screening for sleep-disordered breathing.

One key shift made all the difference:

This reframe removed the pressure and made room for patient-centered conversations.

You don’t need to be a sleep physician.
You just need to ask the question.

Tools You Can Use

Here are two great screening options you can implement right away:

1. STOP-BANG (8 questions—ideal for adults)

2. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (rated scale for daytime drowsiness)

For pediatric patients, look for:

• ADHD-like behavior

• Bedwetting after age 6

• Restless sleep or frequent night wakings

• Difficulty waking in the morning

Keep these tools printed and available at hygiene and new patient intake stations.

Click HERE to access Dr. Bennett's research insights and tips on how to confidently screen patients for sleep issues.

Cathy’s Corner: Nutrition for Nighttime Calm

Sleep isn’t just mechanical—it’s metabolic.

Blood sugar swings, poor gut health, and inflammatory foods all disrupt the body’s ability to wind down at night. That leads to sympathetic overdrive, which keeps airways tense and the brain on alert.

Start with:

• Reducing ultra-processed foods, seed oils, and excess sugar

• Adding magnesium-rich foods and herbal teas in the evening

• Coaching your patients to finish meals 2–3 hours before bed

• Use the “Veggie’s First” Rule from a previous newsletter [Click HERE]

Business of Sleep

Try this one change to your health history form:

 “How’s your sleep? Do you wake up tired or feel unrested?”

This question doesn’t diagnose—it opens the door to trust.
Patients don’t expect it. That’s what makes it powerful.

Something Sweet

🍭Stuff so sweet you might get a cavity..

CE Opportunities / Events

Have an event you would like to post? (free) [ click here ]

Miscellaneous

😅P.S. … From Dr. Bennett & Cathy:
We’re not asking you to become a sleep expert overnight. We’re asking you to become curious. Confident. Courageous. Your patients need someone who notices—and cares.

If you’ve ever felt unsure how to start the airway conversation, we hope this gave you permission to begin.

We want to hear your stories about how sleep screening has helped you, your patients, or your practice. Please email us at [email protected]. Let's create a supportive community that encourages quality sleep as part of a person’s overall health and wellness.

Share this issue with a colleague who’s ready to start screening with a purpose.

— Dr. Michael & Cathy Bennett
More Than Teeth | A Mission for Generational Health