Zap Away Sleep Apnea: Lasers to the Rescue!

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

In this week’s issue:

• Case Report: Lasers Battle Severe Sleep Apnea

• Systematic Review: Laser Therapy Use on Sleep Disorders

• 1 FREE CE: Implementing Lasers in the Practice.

• Loyalty, where the real money is made💰

This one’s a 7-minute read - hopefully you find it useful.

Let’s dive in.👇

Clinical Corner

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

1/ Case Report: Curing Severe Sleep Apnea with lasers

🔬 The Study: A clinical case report highlighted a 71-year-old woman with severe OSA, successfully treated using a custom-fit dental sleep appliance and Er:YAG laser therapy after refusing positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy.

🦷 The Dental Appliance: A custom-fit appliance initially helped manage her OSA. While the appliance gave slight improvement, it did not give her the complete result. Appliances are more comfortable than PAP machines, dental sleep appliances can still cause facial pain, soreness, and occlusal changes.

🔦 The Laser Therapy: The patient underwent multiple Er:YAG laser therapy sessions on her oropharynx, which improved oropharyngeal patency and reduced the need for the dental appliance.

😮 The Results: After one year, the patient's severe OSA was resolved without needing her dental sleep appliance! The follow-up sleep study showed a respiratory event index (REI) of 3.5 and a supine REI of 4.2, proving the treatment's effectiveness.

🤔 The Takeaway: This case report suggests that combining dental sleep appliance therapy with nonsurgical laser therapy could revolutionize treatment for severe OSA patients. It minimizes risks linked to long-term appliance use while providing complete therapeutic benefits. However, more research is needed to confirm its general applicability and establish appropriate patient selection criteria.

2/ Systematic Review: Low-Level Laser Therapy Use In Sleep Disorders

Ready for a game-changing way to treat sleep apnea? Say hello to low-level laser therapy (LLLT) like Er:YAG lasers! This revolutionary treatment helps patients with sleep-disordered breathing, like obstructive sleep apnea and snoring, without the need for surgery or cumbersome CPAP machines.

🔦 Why Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is a Big Deal: LAUP targets pharyngeal and palatal soft tissues to reduce obstructions, resulting in better sleep and breathing for patients. It's a painless procedure with minimal side effects that can be performed chairside, using only local or topical anesthesia. No carbonization, necrosis, or hemorrhage post-treatment means it's cost-effective, quick, and easy to administer - plus, it's got great patient satisfaction rates!

🧪 The Science: A recent systematic review shows that Er:YAG therapy is an excellent non-surgical option for managing snoring, sleep-disordered breathing, and noncompliant CPAP users. It's safe, minimally invasive, and offers positive results. However, the review also suggests that contact Nd:YAG lasers might be more effective for soft palate stiffening procedures.

📚 What's Next? While these findings are promising, more randomized clinical controlled trials with long-term follow-ups are needed. Additionally, patient selection and inclusion criteria for the LAUP procedure should be developed, as it may not be suitable for everyone.

🎯 The Bottom Line: Er:YAG laser therapy is a promising alternative for treating sleep-disordered breathing, especially for patients who struggle with CPAP machines. It's safe, cost-effective, and has a high patient satisfaction rate. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking treatment!

3/ 1 FREE CE: Dental Sleep Medicine with Laser Therapy

Laser technology has become a cornerstone for treatment in thriving dental practices across the United States and worldwide. Practices leveraging this technology offer drill-free, needle-free fillings and blood-free, suture-free surgeries. Recent advancements have enabled doctors to reduce soft tissue congestion in the airway and eliminate a common cause of snoring. Whether they are used as a stand-alone treatment for snoring or as an adjunct therapy alongside mandibular advancement devices to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), lasers have become an invaluable solution to both dentists and patients alike.

Join Dr. Mark Ligocki as he shares his experience implementing laser therapy into his dental treatment plans and his sleep apnea protocol. He will share what you need to know when evaluating laser systems, how to get started, and advanced techniques to level up your sleep program.

⚠️Not a sponsor

Business of Sleep

📈Better businesses = more lives saved!

Lastly, where the real money is made… Loyalty.

If you’ve missed the other topics👇

• Awareness

• Interest

• Desire

• Action

🛍️ Sales Funnel Chronicles: Loyalty - Dental Sleep Medicines’ Secret Ingredient 🎩

We're exploring the captivating realm of the sales funnel, with a special focus on the crucial loyalty stage.

Loyalty is the secret ingredient that fuels your dental sleep medicine and orthodontics practice. It's the pièce de résistance of your marketing strategy, the icing on your cake, and the ultimate goal of your patient journey. Not to mention, it directly impacts your customers' lifetime value (LTV). Let's delve into why loyalty matters and how to master it like a champ.

🌟 The Significance of Loyalty in Dental Sleep Medicine & Orthodontics

You've expertly navigated your patients through the awareness, interest, desire, and action stages. Nice work! But hold off on the celebration. It's in the loyalty stage that the real magic unfolds. Loyal patients become enthusiastic advocates, referring friends, family, and even casual acquaintances. They're your practice's backbone, so treat them like royalty! Moreover, when patients stick around, their LTV skyrockets. This means more revenue, long-term success, and a thriving practice.

🥇 Mastering Loyalty Like a Pro

1. Surpass Expectations: To triumph in the loyalty game, go the extra mile. Provide follow-up calls after complex treatments, offer complimentary teeth cleanings, or send birthday cards sprinkled with orthodontic humor. Demonstrating you care will be rewarded with unwavering loyalty and increased LTV.

2. Craft a Memorable Experience: Your practice is more than a place for aligners and sleep apnea solutions; it's an experience. Create a warm atmosphere, employ amiable staff, and curate a waiting room with top-notch amenities. Make patients feel valued, and they'll remain loyal, boosting their LTV.

3. Inform and Engage: Keep patients informed with educational newsletters, captivating social media content, and the occasional sleep-related quip. Positioning yourself as a knowledgeable professional fosters trust, credibility, and loyalty—all essential factors in enhancing LTV.

4. Acknowledge Loyalty: Express gratitude with a referral program or a rewards system. Discounts or free dental supplies go a long way in showing appreciation and encouraging patients to continue utilizing your services, thus improving their LTV.

In summary, loyal patients are vital to a flourishing dental sleep and orthodontic practice, and they directly contribute to increased LTV. So, go forth and nurture loyalty like the marketing virtuosos you are! And, most importantly, enjoy the process.

Something Sweet

🍭Stuff so sweet you might get a cavity..

Miscellaneous

😅P.S. … I forgot something

April fools is coming up so here are a few dental-inspired pranks!

The Mystery Patient 🕵️‍♀️

Arrange for a friend or family member to come in as a "mystery patient." Provide them with a comically absurd dental issue, such as claiming they can't stop hiccuping when they brush their teeth or that they've been using chocolate as toothpaste. Watch your colleagues try to keep a straight face as they attempt to offer professional advice to the mystery patient.

Minty Fresh Surprise 🍬 

Purchase a pack of cookies or donuts and replace the filling or frosting with toothpaste. Put them in the break room or offer them to your staff as a special treat. Watch as they take a bite, expecting a sweet surprise, only to find a minty fresh explosion in their mouth! Be sure to have the actual treats on hand afterward to lighten the mood and keep everyone smiling.

Got this far… share with a friend!