Author: Michael Kelley

Making the decision to branch out into dental sleep medicine, treating obstructive sleep apnea and airway issues with oral appliance therapy requires research, education, a large new learning curve, commitment, patience, and passion.  The bad news, doing it well, doing it right, and doing it successfully is challenging. The good news, no one is better suited for this rewarding career move than you, a dentist. By nature, dentists are “fix-it” people.  We love the mechanics of repairing something broken and the immediate satisfaction of seeing the fruits of our labor deliver a “fix”.  The incredible feeling of knowing you have helped a fellow human being better their life by relieving pain, restoring function or improving esthetics is our reward.  Yet, with all we do as dentists it is rare that we have the opportunity to save a life. Oral appliance therapy and improving airway health has enabled dentists to jump into the world of saving lives.  Quite frankly, I believe this is truly what all of dentistry has been heading toward without us knowing it. Years ago (too many to admit) as a new dentist, I started to see how so many of the dental procedures I was doing were affecting more than just the patient’s teeth.  We all have experienced restorative dentistry and prosthodontics and its improvement of neuromuscular health, digestion, and psychological well-being. Then, we learned of how important improved periodontal health crossed into so many co morbid medical problems such as heart disease and diseases like diabetes to make an impact. The mouth has always been a vital component of our overall health. What we didn’t realize was how vital it was in providing air or perhaps blocking our ability to get air.  The need to get oxygen is a very powerful force that will override all other developmental factors as we grow and age. Our tongue posture, occlusal schemes, swallowing issues, speech problems, skeletal growth, brain development, and so many systemic issues arise when our airway is compromised.  So many of our patients are grinding their teeth, breaking restorations, loosing bone support, developing endodontic issues & periodontal problems as well as TMD issues secondary to a compromised airway. I suggest that understanding the mouth, upper airway, and breathing, as a combination science is dentistry’s unknown true calling.  We have seen that early intervention of orthodontics and some oral surgery procedures will help improve breathing and cranial facial development.  Despite these interventions, many people still require more to provide optimal airway health. The longer I have practiced dentistry with an “airway centric” approach, the more I realize how so much of what we do is still more of an art than a science.  We are on the right track, but more needs to be understood. The mouth is our arena.  No one understands the nuances of its development; maintenance, repair and long term care better than a well-trained dentist.  The placement of an oral appliance to treat obstructive sleep apnea is a huge responsibility filled with unseen land minds as we use it to treat a life threatening disease.  This is our challenge but we are the most qualified of all health care providers to provide this remarkable service. Once you decide to practice dentistry with airway health as your most important goal, everything you have been taught traditionally in dental school and along your career will take a back seat in importance and priority when treatment planning.  The decisions you make for your patients in evaluating, diagnosing, treating, and maintaining their oral health will be guided by their airway. Missing this component in modern dentistry will soon be considered archaic in thought. As an example, we have learned that simply fabricating a “night guard” for nighttime grinding without evaluating for the possibility of OSA may compromise an airway and worsen the symptoms of the OSA.  The American College of Prosthodontics recently came out with a position paper stating this and advising understanding OSA in the decision tree of our patients’ treatment. How many of our patients are mouth breathers? We see the dental implications of this; dry mouth, increased caries and periodontal issues. We know that breathing through the nose is the proper and healthier way to breath. This is the kind of red flag that should send out an alarm that this patient’s airway is compromised and therefore not only is their mouth being affected but so is their overall health.  As dentists we have the responsibility to understand this. The compromised airway patient may be a walking time bomb with underlying cardiovascular disease, risk of stroke, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Not only does this affect the health of the patient, but the population at large as the associated increase in sleepiness increases the occurrence of industrial accidents and transportation related accidents. As dentists we are only a part of a larger team treating obstructive sleep apnea for our patients. The decision to make an oral appliance can only be based on a diagnosis of OSA made by a physician and with a prescription given to fabricate one.  Once we are given the green light to proceed, the ball is in our hands and with proper training we can do some of the most rewarding treatment under the scope of our license… saving lives! Although I believe that every dental school should be teaching dental sleep medicine and every dentist should practice with airway in mind, this is not yet the case.  Although some universities have incorporated post grad or mini residencies for dental sleep medicine into their curriculums, the population is still vastly underserved.  From diagnosis to treatment, we have only reached a small percent of patients that need to be treated. There is an ocean of patients that need our help. So where does one begin? How do you make the leap into this field?  Like any other part of dentistry the ultimate responsibility of your patient’s care will be up to you and in your hands. So just as if you were to incorporate the placement of implants into your practice, I suggest you learn as much as you can and get the best education you can about the field of dental sleep medicine.  Oral appliances for treating OSA are a removable prosthesis, for breathing!! Like designing a complex restorative prosthesis, a complete dental evaluation is required. However, now you need to do this with an understanding of sleep medicine in order to have success with OAT. My suggestion would be to join any of the reputable organizations that support university researched educational courses as well as well established, unbiased, experienced practitioners who can share their knowledge.  Start slow, learn well, and tread safely as you navigate through the vast amount of information that exists. Many of the manufactures of oral appliances also provide a lot practical information and can help to educate you. Go to meetings and mingle with colleagues. Find a mentor who has already made mistakes and learn from them. Most dentists are skilled technically and learn quickly. The learning curve here is slow with so many appliances to choose from and so many complex dental factors involved in the decision making as to how to proceed and at what rate to adjust the oral appliance.  This just takes time and experience is the best teacher. As long as you proceed with the motto of “do no harm”, and you monitor the progress of your patient’s care closely, you will have success. Finding your first patients are easy, they are right under your nose in your own dental practice. Learning to screen for OSA should be part of every dentists initial exam.  Once you think you have a potential patient, you need to get them into the medical loop. If you refer them to a local sleep center for a sleep study, these facilities and the physicians there will learn that you are available to help treat some of their patients.  With time, your dental sleep practice will grow. Building relationships with our medical colleagues is key to practice building. The best you can do is learning as much as you can, become credentialed by organized dental sleep organizations, and deliver successful treatment. Patients will rave and physicians will refer. You are making a medical device.  A new and often difficult part of this will be learning how to bill medical insurance and navigate through the medical insurance guidelines. Like everything else, there is help out there for you provided by professional medical billers as well as courses you can attend that will teach you how to overcome this obstacle.  Don’t despair; once you learn the ropes, it will be similar to dealing with dental insurance, just a part of doing business. Like dental insurance, there will be limits and rules and aggravation. It is a frustrating part of medicine to be “controlled” by insurance policies. Unfortunately, more so in medicine, than even in our dental practices, we need to learn to live and practice with this frustration.  To say the least it is an eternal battle. This field is dynamic and evolving even as I write this.  Every day new technologies from diagnosis, to practice management, to innovative oral appliance designs are continuing to develop. The digital world has made its presence known and has infiltrated the world of OAT.  From scanning images to fabricating appliances, the efficiency of digital technology is here and making an impact. Incorporating airway health into our practices, treating obstructive sleep apnea, guiding the development of craniofacial development, and working with our medical colleagues to enhance the ability for our patients to breath properly, is the ultimate mission for us as dentists.  No other thing we do as dentists has the impact that this has on the lives of our patients. We are guardians of the airway and we have the responsibility to maintain oral health and help provide our patients the ability to breath. ————————— Neal Seltzer, DMD, FAGD, D ABDSM, D ACSDD, D ASBA Neal Seltzer is a graduate of Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine. Has been in dental practice since 1982 and has been treating patients with oral appliances for obstructive asleep apnea since 1991. His years of experience and extensive knowledge of oral appliances has enabled him , along with his partner, Jeffrey Rein DDS,  and the outstanding staff at Long Island Dental Sleep Medicine, to build one of the largest and most successful dental sleep practices in the New York Metropolitan area. With over 25 years of knowledge in dental sleep medicine, Dr Seltzer and the team at Long island Dental Sleep Medicine,  is the official New York Pro Player Health Alliance office treating retired NFL players as well as the first and only office in New York State to be a Dental Sleep Medicine Accredited Facility  by the Academy of Dental Sleep medicine. Recently, Dr Seltzer, along with several other Diplomates of the ASBA had the honor and privilege, to be selected to speak in front of a congressional caucus in Washington D.C., on the dangers of undiagnosed and untreated OSA and its affect on public safety.

National Geographic magazine has long been the gateway to high adventure and exotic locales, but the Aug 2018 issue marks a departure into the foreign land of the human mind during sleep. Flight, sexual stimulation, and death are all fair game as the human brain descends into slumber.   The fact that feature writer Michael Finkel sees sleep as a suitable topic for the venerable National Geographic brand is a testament to the growing psychological and physical importance of proper rest. Finkel ponders early views of sleep from Aristotle in 350 B.C. to the 2017 Nobel Prize in medicine, awarded to three scientists who identified the molecular clock inside our cells that syncs us with the sun.   Finkel points out that a full night’s sleep, “now feels rare and old fashioned as a handwritten letter.” Instead, he points out that, “We all seem to cut corners, fighting insomnia through sleeping pills, guzzling coffee to slap away yawns, ignoring the intricate journey we’re designed to take each evening.”   When broken down into its essential elements, sleep is indeed a metamorphosis of sorts. Good sleep, Finkel writes, “likely also reduces one’s risk of developing dementia,” and then cites a recent study performed with mice. Reserved for the end of the article is indeed a mention of sleep apnea, in addition to a CDC figure that posits more than 80 million Americans as chronically sleep deprived, with insomnia as the main culprit.   Click Here to read the full article https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/08/science-of-sleep/

National Football League (NFL) players get used to excellent medical care during their playing days as high profile athletes, and that yearning for the best continues into retirement. Plenty of cowboys from the ranch, and even a few from the gridiron, find their way through the doors of Dallas-based Wheatland Dental because they want the best treatment. Dallas Cowboy legend Tony Dorsett (running back), Michael Irvin (wide receiver), Preston Pearson (running back) and Derek Kennard (center who blocked for QB Troy Aikman) are just a few of the many football legends who rely on the dental team at Wheatland headed by Harry L. Sugg, DDS. According to Kerry Sugg, Dr. Sugg’s wife, Derek Kennard has said that Dr. Sugg’s intervention, in the form of oral appliances to treat obstructive sleep apnea, saved his life. “Derek’s brother died of sleep apnea at the age of 39, and his brother was younger and thinner,” says Mrs. Sugg. “Derek told us about his own depression, headaches, and he had severe sleep apnea. Derek could not wear a continuous positive air pressure [CPAP] machine because he was claustrophobic and just CPAP intolerant. The oral appliance worked really well for him. Derek believes he could have played at least five more years if the oral appliance had been available.” Eric Dickerson, current holder of the record for most rushing yards gained during an NFL season, makes the long trip from Los Angeles specifically to visit Sugg’s practice. “We made him an oral appliance,” Sugg says. “It got rid of his massive headaches. He sleeps great, and we rebuilt his entire mouth. I said, ‘Eric, I’m almost 2,000 miles away. Are you sure you want to make this trip?’ He said, ‘Absolutely’ and he had a lot of appointments.” Experience and Education Longevity is impressive on its own, but the 40-year legacy of Harry Sugg, DDS, transcends the mere passage of time. As the owner of Dallas-based Wheatland Dental, Sugg has distinguished his dental career through an enduring dedication to his patients and the profession. Much of that dedication demands an unrelenting willingness to accept change, as well as a desire to participate in continuing education courses. “These days, we literally don’t do anything like we did when I got out of dental school,” says Sugg. “The closest thing would be extractions.” Pretty much everything else—fillings, crowns, root canals, partials, dentures, orthodontics—are all different today. As for treating sleep disorders; “We had no earthly idea about sleep,” Sugg muses. “We had no idea about disorders of the jaw joint and all the pain and headaches associated with it, or whatever ideas we had were totally wrong.” To deal with the daunting explosion of new technology, Sugg has never fought progress, but instead has chosen to embrace new ideas. “They talk about being on the leading edge of technology,” he says. “I was on the bleeding edge.” A lifelong obsession with motors and all things mechanical has served Sugg well, but may not have always led to harmonious relationships with roommates. Kerry Sugg explains: “At one time, Harry’s roommate had moved out and he could not figure out why. Well, Harry had his motorcycle in his dorm room along with part of a Corvette that he was working on.” Early on, Sugg briefly dropped out of dental school to take a job as a pilot with United Airlines in Washington, DC. The career change ultimately proved short-lived, and he eventually came back to dental school. The Bleeding Edge As a working dentist in the real world, Sugg’s early-adopter ethos and mechanical mindset usually served patients and the practice well, but not always. “I would be number one way too many times,” Sugg says with a chuckle. “Sometimes I should have waited and at least have been number two. I got into things before other people worked the kinks out.” A prime example was dental implants. Sugg installed a full mouth of implants on the owner of Curtis Mathis Televisions using the old Blade implants. Sugg admittedly “sunk a bunch of time and money” into the implants which were eventually made obsolete by new developments. On the other end of the spectrum, Sugg worked closely with Dr. John Schoeffel for two and a half years to develop the Endo-Vac, which eventually became the standard of care in root canals. “That was a big winner for the improvement of patient care,” Sugg reveals. So much willingness to try new things has led to a “closet full of stuff that I bought, tried out, and then decided not to use.” A typical ratio might be two or three enduring “winners” out of every 10 developments. “Are the other seven a waste?” asks Sugg. “No, they really were not, because you never would have found the two or three that worked if you had not tried all ten.” As a pioneer in the field of electronic dental anesthesia, Sugg received an invitation years ago from 3M to be a guest lecturer. Sugg and his wife spent four days at 3M’s massive headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, meeting with execs, sales people, and technical staff. 3M executives were amazed at the testimonials that praised the electronic unit’s ability to reduce pain. In the current era of widespread opioid addiction, Sugg muses that the innovation was probably ahead of its time. “I still use it to this day,” he says. “We’ve been able to reduce the use of opioids among patients by 70%.” That spirit of innovation, community, and family is a familiar thread through Sugg’s past, present, and future. When Kerry and Harry’s daughters were young, they frequently helped out with the practice. They grew up, but that family atmosphere is still a vital part of the practice. “We live three miles from the office,” says Mrs. Sugg. “This is our community.” Part of Sugg’s legacy amounts to a lead-by-example willingness to attend educational courses—a lot of educational courses. The proper mindset, Sugg contends, is to view continuing education essentially as a part-time job. “Alan Hickey [executive director of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy] just signed me up for a two-day course this October 2018 in Phoenix,” Sugg says. “Professionals should be nothing less than continual students. It’s a choice.” In his younger days, Sugg used to take courses “almost constantly.” These days, he laments that a relatively small percentage (about 20%) of the profession now regularly pursues continuing education. “When you would go to these courses, so many times a third or a fourth of the dentists were the same ones you saw a month ago at a different course,” he reveals. “The course-takers and the non-course-takers.” Sugg’s deep educational dive took fruitful detours, particularly in the exploration of temporomanidular joint (TMJ) pain, eventually leading him to an association with Dr. Harold Gelb. Gelb’s world famous practice in the heart of New York City was considered the epicenter of TMJ expertise, and Sugg’s work with Gelb eventually landed him a place on the original Gelb Academy Board of Directors. “I was really privileged to work with him,” remembers Sugg. “Years ago, his rent alone in New York was a million dollars per year on the top floor. He is retired now, but it was impressive indeed.” The commitment to education spread across the United States, and even internationally, with an invitation to Sugg to be the dean of a dental school in Dubai. Prior to that, representatives from the then Soviet Union asked if Sugg would host dentists from overseas. “They had grown up under communism, and now they were trying to operate under capitalism,” says Kerry Sugg. “The request grew to 13 dentists, and Sugg and one other dentist in the region hosted them. The visiting dentists said they would never believe another negative thing about Americans because we were so generous with them. It was incredible.” The Road to Sleep About a decade ago, yet another course would lead to a deep involvement with oral appliances to treat sleep apnea. The class in Boston, taught by Ed Spiegel, led to additional courses in Phoenix—and eventually to a meeting with David Gergen, founder of the American Sleep & Breathing Academy. “Dave Gergen changed my life, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Sugg says. “He is passionate about anything he does. Numerous people had tried to get in with the National Football League [NFL], with absolutely no success. Dave went after it, and a year and a half later he was in.” With help from the ASBA and Gergen’s leadership, oral appliances have gained respect within the medical community. Even though M.D.s occasionally hesitate to acknowledge the clinical importance of oral appliances, Sugg offers words of hope: “Some M.D.s still do not have a high opinion of oral appliances. The American Medical Association recommends oral appliances for mild to moderate sleep apnea, and yet too many M.D.s will recommend a CPAP across the board. We work hand in hand with M.D.s, and fortunately the medical profession is gaining a greater appreciation for the effectiveness of oral appliances.” Sugg has been keen to address the problem of sleep disorders in children, an area he believes M.D.s and dentists alike have neglected. His most successful case involved a 6-year-old girl who was the shortest child in her class. “She had daily nose bleeds, head aches, and would refuse to sleep in her bed, instead opting for a recliner where she could lie more upright,” Sugg explains. “She had bad snoring. In three days with a fixed oral appliance, she was sleeping in her bed with no nosebleeds, no headaches, and no snoring. In 17 months, she grew 12 inches.” Oral appliances resonated with Sugg as soon as he discovered a simple fact; they work. The “does it work or not” philosophy has served him well and attracted a massive base of patients, including a few famous ones such as Charlton Heston (star of the legendary 1959 film Ben Hurr and the Planet of the Apes movies from the 1960s), and the actual coaches (Herman Boone and Bill Yoast) from the 2000 Remember the Titans film starring Denzel Washington as coach Herman Boone. “I’m grateful for the knowledge my educational background has afforded me, and I always look forward to new and better ways to treat my patients,” Sugg says. “There is still an excitement about patient care. I am at the office all week. I have absolutely no plans to retire.” “If you’re not getting enough oxygen, in the case of sleep apnea, it’s a big problem,” adds Kerry Sugg. “In the case of Derek Kennard, he was depressed with bad headaches. Typically a doctor would give him something for depression and/or something for pain control, when what he really needed was his airway open to get better oxygen. If your body is not getting enough oxygen, you are not going to be in peak performance.” Harry L. Sugg, DDS – At a Glance founder of Wheatland Dental, Dallas, Texas; dentist for the United States All America Bowl in San Antonio, held at the Alamo Dome; founding board member of the American Sleep & Breathing Academy (ASBA); helped develop the Endo-Vac root canal system; undergraduate degree, Memphis State University; • dental degree, University of Tennessee; first recipient of Boston lifetime achievement award for contributions to dentistry; • residency at V.A. Hospital, Memphis Tennessee; and • first inductee to the ASBA Hall of Fame.  

Paul Van Walleghem, DDS, has been with the American Sleep & Breathing Academy (ASBA) from the start. As credentialing director for the ASBA, Van Walleghem has shepherded numerous dentists to Diplomate status, a crucial step in starting or cementing key relationships with sleep physicians. “Physicians want to see that credential,” says Van Walleghem, owner of Pointe Dental Group, with Michigan locations in Gross Pointe Farms and Shelby Township. “That’s how you start relationships with physicians. If you just call them up and announce that you make oral appliances, it does not work well.” As president of the American Board of Sleep and Breathing (www.abosb.org), Van Walleghem’s Board of Directors are well qualified to bestow diplomate status on behalf of the ASBA. In practice for 32 years, Van Walleghem took his first sleep-related course in 1991 in Boston. Led by a physician who invented a tongue retaining device, the course detailed the ways in which oral appliances, very much in their infancy, could solve sleep apnea problems. “Today, people are still getting a lot of misinformation,” says Van Walleghem, who leads a multi-specialty practice where many opinions are readily available. “Dentists are being told they can make millions of dollars in dental sleep medicine, but that’s not why we should be doing it. It’s a lot of work, and if you do it properly, it involves a lot of follow-up and a lot of letters to physicians. You must charge a reasonable amount, but not an exorbitant amount.” Ultimately, breaking through economic and clinical misconceptions is crucial, and diplomates are well versed in ways to succeed in a challenging environment. “CPAP is the gold standard for treatment, because you can keep turning up the pressure,” says Van Walleghem. “CPAP compliance is still about 45%, but M.D.s like CPAP’s 95% efficacy.” When physicians are eventually on board with oral appliances, the prescriptions can and will begin to flow. “You get a prescription from a physician that says, ‘Please construct a mandibular advancement device for the treatment of OSA.’ Remember, we are not the treating physician,” Van Walleghem explains. “We are the DME provider, and that’s what we wantto be. Getting started and/or improving relationships begins with that Diplomate status.” For more information on achieving ASBA diplomate status, go to www.abosb.org. To learn more about the ASBA, go to www.americansleepandbreathingacademy.com

Former All-Pro wide receiver Roy Green and offensive lineman Derek Kennard were teammates who shared the huddle while with the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals from 1986 to 1990. Since then, they’ve shared a friendship. After discovering he had sleep apnea, an aliment which causes stoppages in breathing while sleeping that can result in a loss of oxygen to the brain, Kennard began successful treatment for it, and felt Green should be checked to see if he had it too. “I’d been having lots of issues. I mean, I had two heart attacks; I had two strokes, feeling like crap every day. He goes, ‘Man, I think you should go get tested. This might have some affect on all the things going on with you,’” said Green, who played 14 seasons [1979-1992] in the NFL with the Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles. “So I got tested, and sure and behold, it was a major issue. I got treatment, which is the Herbst device, and instantly I started getting better sleep. I wasn’t tired. I started being a little bit more active. “I said, ‘You know what? Derek, if this happened to you and then me, I’ve got a message for my brethren out there that are suffering from the same thing because they’re like me and don’t even know what it is.’ I had no idea what it was prior to him telling me and Dave (Gergen, President of Gergen’s Orthodontic Laboratories) meeting me and telling me all about it…. The full article can be found on the Professional Athletes Foundation website by clicking here. — Skylar Faulkner Admin | ASBA

Much like the growing awareness surrounding brain trauma and its effects, the problem of poor sleep is gaining traction in the public eye. The NFLPA’s Professional Athletes Foundation, The Living Heart Foundation and Pro Player Health Alliance [PPHA]) work together with former NFL players to make the problems associated with poor sleep known to the public… Read more about what the Professional Athletes Foundation says David Gergen, Pro Player Health Alliance and the American Sleep and Breathing Academy members are bringing to help the former NFL players across the country have a better night’s sleep. The full article can be found on the Professional Athletes Foundation website by clicking here.

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Former Players Convention is an annual meeting for retired NFL players who come together for days of “innovative professional and personal development workshops, networking, guest speakers and family fun”. A growing topic among the former player community, as well as the world population in recent years, has been health. So much so, that a health assessment planned and organized by Living Heart Foundation was included in the official agenda on two days of the three day conference where players were assessed for body composition, blood pressure, pulmonary function, hearing, sleep apnea and more. David Gergen, CEO of Pro Player Health Alliance (PPHA), was appointed by Andre Collins who is the Executive Director of the Players Athletes Foundation to oversee the sleep apnea component of the health assessments. Gergen selected a team of sleep dentists who need to meet a number of requirements to participate: They must be Diplomates of the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA), have a strong community presence and have the capability to treat Medicare patients. Dr. Shad Morris, DMD, led the team of ASBA Diplomates which included Dr. Ronald Rosenbaum, DMD, and Dr. Edward Hobbs, DDS. The board certified sleep physician who worked in collaboration with Dr. Morris was Dr. Cliff Molin. Project Rose provided the sleep testing equipment for the event and were able to provide a home sleep test to every player who were found to be at high risk of sleep apnea. Founded by Earl Campbell and Gary Baxter, Project Rose Sleep Program is a premier sleep program that test, treat and do research in the field of sleep for better health and wellness outcomes. The initial testing reports from this event found that 93% of former players who were tested came back positive for sleep apnea. Dr. Shad Morris impressed everyone who was involved with his dedication, professionalism and attention to detail as well as his demonstration of digital scanners. When asked why Dr. Morris was selected to be the point man for the health assessment, David Gergen said, “Shad has donated time and money to help elderly in his community with holiday church functions for years. He has explained to me that his grandparents forged the way for his future. Although many dentists stay away from Medicare because the reimbursement isn’t good and contains so many regulations, Dr. Morris doesn’t mind because he believes in doing the right thing and helping those who worked hard to give him the opportunities to thrive today; giving back is the right thing to do. When I interviewed him for the position in December of 2017, he told me it’s not about the money it’s about successful outcomes, I knew he was the right guy to bring that same attitude to treating members of the NFLPA.” In a separate meeting with Gergen, Morris and NFL Hall of Fame CB Mike Haynes, Gergen mentioned Dr. Morris as the perfect candidate to be the sleep dentists for the newly relocated Las Vegas Raiders because of his thousands of successful outcomes. ASBA members are the only qualified sleep dentists to treat the former NFL players for obstructive sleep apnea when medically indicated. To attend the ASBA Annual Meeting and become a member of the ASBA, visit Sleep-Conference.Com or email David Gergen at gxployer@aol.com.

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) chose Las Vegas, NV to host its annual meeting for player representatives March 2018. Along with usual discussions of player wages, benefits, and positional elections, the Living Heart Foundation offers a free health screening for former players who attend. Pro Player Health Alliance (PPHA) has covered the sleep/dental component of the screening for many years and has chosen to partner with the Project Rose Sleep Program as of late to provide the sleep testing.  Founded by Earl Campbell and Gary Baxter, Project Rose Sleep Program is a premier sleep program that test, treat and do research in the field of sleep for better health and wellness outcomes. In 2017, more than 100 retired players took advantage of the screening at the NFLPA Annual Meeting where they were assessed for body composition, blood pressure, pulmonary function, hearing, sleep apnea, and more. American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA) Diplomate Dr. Shad Morris, a practicing dentist in Nevada and Utah, has been selected as the head dentist for the screening. Dr. Morris has done an excellent job of treating former players in the past, but this will be his first main event with Living Heart Foundation, NFLPA and Pro Player Health Alliance. He has lectured for the ASBA over the years and built a fine reputation of being one of the most successful sleep dentists in the country with thousands of positive outcomes. Dr. Ronny Rosenbaum will be the second ASBA Diplomate helping screen the former players at PPHA’s sleep/dental station. Recently, Dr. Rosenbaum was the point dentist at the Pro Bowl Screening in Orlando, FL. He saw over 60 former players and began treatment for over 25 for their sleep apnea. David Gergen, CEO of PPHA, has said he only selects ASBA Diplomates to participate in the NFLPA/Living Heart Foundation related screenings to ensure the highest quality of treatment. “I have spoken with several physicians over the years and some say, ‘I sent the patient to a dentist and it did not work,’ and that is because the dentist was not properly trained,” says Gergen. “That is why the ASBA is so important. Dentists trained by our doctors know what they are doing—clinically and financially. If you get a dentist who makes an appliance that does not work, it hurts the dental sleep medicine industry as a whole.” The ASBA Annual Meeting, scheduled for April 13-14, 2018, in Las Vegas, NV, is the place to find this knowledge. With a laser-like focus on the business and clinical side of sleep medicine, it is the conference for dentists who are seriously interested in sleep medicine. Ultimately, dentists who are helping many patients, and succeeding financially, are not merely “dabbling” in sleep medicine. Instead, more than 50% of their practices are sleep.