In the last 5-10 years there has been increased awareness in the diagnosis and treatment of Sleep Related Breathing Disorders and the associated co-morbidities associated with these disorders.  Despite this increased awareness, 80-85% of the patients remain undiagnosed.  In the past, the primary form of diagnosis has been the in- lab PSG followed by a subsequent CPAP titration.  When the diagnosis was severe, if time permitted, a split night PSG was obtained to expedite the initiation of therapy.  CPAP was considered the “gold standard” and the majority of patients were placed on CPAP, regardl ..read more

There are so many aspects that go into running a successful dental practice, but let’s focus on one:  consistently generating more patients.  Most dentists don’t associate marketing with generating patients especially after they’ve been in practice for some time.  However, when you add new equipment and treatments to practice, how do prospective patients learn have these new skills or treatments (e.g. TMJ, Sleep Services, Aesthetic Dental Services etc.)? Dental Marketing is an investment designed to counteract churn - something every dentist will experience at some point in their career. Regar ..read more

The consolidation frenzy engulfing the dental industry shows no signs of abating as we approach the mid-point of 2019. Here are five trends to watch over the coming years. Multi-state expansion According to data from Henry Schein, there are over 800 “local” DSO’s with 5-19 offices in a single state, and another 80+ regional DSO’s operating in multiple states with under 100 locations. These groups will continue to consolidate, increasing the number of large, multi-state DSO’s as well as creating new national DSO’s. Flight to Quality Gone are the days when any group with $5+ million of EBITDA or ..read more

A recent article titled “Value-based Dental Sleep Medicine” by Emerson M. Wickwire, PhD was published in Sleep Review Journal and addresses an important concept that dentists should adopt. The concept of value based care has been around for quite some time in the medical field. Now that dentists are crossing over to medicine to treat serious conditions such as sleep apnea, they must recognize the degree of stakeholders involved. Obviously, the patient is a major stakeholder and dentists who can connect with patient’s desire to improve well-being and overall health is more important than tech ..read more

As more dentists roll out oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea in their practice, there are important considerations to be made with regards to insurance. Certainly, the world of medical insurance is much different than dental insurance and often more complex. Patients today are paying high premiums for their medical insurance and expect to see providers who (at a very minimum) “take” their insurance. This can be interpreted as “accepting” the fee and the assignment of benefits. In this situation, the provider either participates on a case by case basis or has gone through a credentialing pr ..read more

Many practices underestimate the importance of proper enrollment and network participation options with medical insurance before billing for dental sleep services. Understanding these concepts and following with sound business decisions are critical steps that EVERY practice should undergo with each major payer (insurance company) common to their geographic area and/or patient population. It can make all the difference when it comes to reimbursement for oral appliance therapy. So what are the key points to consider? Step 1: Determine which health plans require formal enrollment in order to bil ..read more

We like to highlight oral appliance products that get results in our practice in order to help you provide the best results to your patients. Here's information you can pass along to your dental sleep medicine patients about the ProSomnus® [IA] Oral Appliance.  Introducing the ProSomnus® [IA] Sleep and Snore Device with Monogram™ Customization Options. This new precision manufactured, iterative advancement sleep device is easy to customize for each patient centric treatment plan. Add Anterior Discluders, Airway Openings, Di ..read more

Do you lack referrals from local physicians? Pursuing collaborative relationships with local physicians is one of the most important things you can do to advance your dental sleep practice. I am sure your office would welcome a steady stream of referrals from a sleep specialist, PCP or ENT, right? Since these referrals are required based on clinical guidelines and insurance payment policies, it seems like a no-brainer to put resources in place to establish such referral relationships. However, this is not always the case. I ..read more

We like to highlight oral appliance products that get results in our practice in order to help you provide the best results to your patients. Here's information you can pass along to your dental sleep medicine patients about the Panthera D-SAD. You'll experience efficiency, comfort and durability with the Panthera D-SAD oral appliance to effectively treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. The D-SAD oral appliance is custom-made by computer to maximize quality and precision, which translates into fewer chair-time adjustme ..read more

What are you waiting for? You’ve spent a lot of time and money attending conferences, taking classes, purchasing equipment and searching for vendors to help you establish dental sleep medicine services within your practice. So why wait until one of your patients has a problem? The key to making this work is to collaborate with medical colleagues (sleep labs, primary care docs, cardiologists, ENTs) so that patients come to you with a diagnosis and hopefully a qualifying sleep study already completed. Of course, screening you ..read more