My Patient Snores. Can I make an oral appliance?

Dental sleep medicine has become a very hot topic and dentists are in a perfect scenario to aid in improving the life of an individual. Dentists work with sleep physicians and also other disciplines to successfully manage sleep-disordered breathing. Dentists can play an integral role in screening for signs or symptoms of sleep disorders. Dentist can also be involved in the management of patients with sleep-disordered breathing when treatment with an oral appliance is medically indicated.

 This full day hands on workshop will navigate you through many important aspects which need to be considered when commencing your practice in dental sleep medicine.

LUNCH, MORNING AND AFTERNOON TEA

On completion of the workshop, it is expected that you will:

1. Have a baseline knowledge of normal sleep and sleep disorders, and the impact of sleep issues on your patient’s health.
2. Understand screening methods for sleep-disordered breathing that can be implemented in the general dental practice, including questionnaires which can be utilised in your practice.
3. Have an awareness of treatment modalities, including a basic introduction to CPAP therapy and how it works.
4. Understand how to read the sleep physician report.
5. Be aware of the range of oral appliances and choosing an optimal appliance for each patient
6.  Have the practical skills to fabricate oral appliances, including optimal bite registration, impression techniques and intraoral scanning.
7. Understand oral appliance titration mechanisms and protocols.
8. Have the ability to troubleshoot and provide management for common side effects of oral appliance therapy. 

Dr Ling holds a public appointment at the Department of Pulmonary Physiology & Sleep Medicine of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and also provides private consulting and reporting services with Cardio Respiratory Sleep. He provides comprehensive specialist care in all aspects of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, with subspecialty interest in the areas of lung cancer, chronic cough, hypercapnic respiratory failure, and complex sleep disordered breathing.

Dr Janina Christoforou is a registered oral medicine specialist who enjoys practicing all facets of oral medicine. She holds Fellowships with the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the Oral Medicine Academy of Australasia. She has public appointments at Perth Children’s Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and she is a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at UWA. She practices privately at Western Oral Medicine Group in Mount Lawley and Kalamunda and she is an active volunteer in the community.

Dr Gwen Chin graduated in 1999 from UWA and have been working in private practice since. She is a member of Healing Smiles and is the current UWA Dental Alumni Society President. She is passionate about fostering good relations between the students, the alumni and within the entire dental community.