Author: Michael Kelley

The American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA) has confirmed Dr. Ronald Brown, DDS as a speaker at the upcoming Sleep and Wellness Conference April 21-22, 2017 in Phoenix, AZ. Dr. Brown’s topic, “Dental Sleep Medicine as a Sub-Speciality – It’s never been done before, how do we invest in it and how can we be first? ” has attracted interest from several doctors in the industry including the dental icon Dr. Harry Sugg who said, “I go to the ASBA’s Sleep and Wellness Conference every year and I wouldn’t miss it for anything. The value that it has brought to my practice is incomparable, but if you were on the fence about attending this year I don’t see how this wouldn’t entice you to come.” To register for the conference visit sleep-conference.com. Dr. Brown is a professor in the department of Comprehensive Dentistry, Division of Oral Diagnosis, at Howard University College of Dentistry and also the Director of Continuing Dental Education. He is currently a clinical associate professor within the department of otolaryngology at Georgetown University Medical Center, and a volunteer research associate at NHLBI/NIH Hematology Branch. For the last several years, he has been listed as one of the top 100 CDE providers by Dentistry Today. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Medicine (ABOM), presently secretary of the ABOM, and a past-president of the American Academy of Oral Medicine.

Sleep and Wellness Conference from April 21-22 provides crucial clinical (and business) info for dentists. http://sleep-conference.com Harnessing America’s obsession with the National Football League (NFL) to boost awareness about sleep apnea is a tactic used to great effect by the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA). ASBA doctors were the only sleep physicians and dentists invited to a recent National Football League Players Association (NFLPA https://www.nflpa.com/former-players/events ) meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, an event that hosted free health screenings for recently retired players. More than 90 retired players took advantage of the screenings where they were assessed for body composition, blood pressure, pulmonary function, hearing, sleep apnea, and more. In conjunction with the Living Heart Foundation (for general health) and the Pro Player Health Alliance (PPHA), ASBA Diplomates helped every player to get tested for sleep apnea, and many players were referred to ASBA dental sleep specialists for oral appliance therapy. “The players loved it,” said David Gergen, CEO of PPHA and ASBA. “We had our lab make some of the appliances and deliver them the next day since we were in Arizona and the lab was nearby.” NFL Generates Awareness A Mayo Clinic Study, in collaboration with the Living Heart Foundation, found that 46% of retired players have sleep apnea, and Gergen believes that number is low. Retired players need help dealing with sleep disorders and their notoriety only boosts awareness for oral appliances. Local and even national media pick up on the excitement to spread knowledge beyond the CPAP realm. As an Academy that focuses on the dental side of sleep medicine, the ASBA is keen to inform players about the efficacy of oral appliances. Many players are not even aware of oral appliances until they receive education from the ASBA. “Some of the players had been told they had sleep apnea before, but they had not been told about the dental option,” laments Gergen. “The dental option is such a hit because it is so un-invasive. Football players are used to dealing with mouth pieces in the athletic setting.” That preference toward the un-invasive nature of oral appliances naturally extends to the general population, many of whom are not receiving the full story. “The medical community does not inform people,” says Gergen. “Patients are not getting enough information about their therapy options, and they don’t know what they don’t know.” Part of the problem is the persistent notion that CPAP is the so-called “gold standard” and should always be    a first option. As an outspoken advocate for oral appliances, Gergen bristles at the “gold standard” notion, contending that any modality that yields such low compliance is bound to fall short as a measure of excellence. Gergen acknowledges that spreading awareness is an “uphill battle,” thanks largely to huge companies that continue to spend millions of dollars to brand CPAP as the best option. “They have spent a lot of money to tell Americans about CPAP ” he says. “With the ASBA, I am saying, ‘That is not the case.’ We are fighting to give patients more treatment options, and we are determined to win.” Plenty of prominent physicians are aligning with the ASBA joining the fight and openly questioning CPAP’s role as the supposed “gold standard.” Steven Y. Park, MD, a physician in private practice, points out on his Web site that CPAP is consistently mentioned as the “gold standard” treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea. “I find this odd,” writes Park, “since the overall success rate for CPAP is disappointing, especially if you look at overall acceptance and compliance numbers. “Some people may take exception to what I have to say, but here are the facts,” continues Park. “Theses are only rough estimates, but if you take 100 people who are newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, only about 1/2 are willing to even try it. Of the people who give it a try, maybe about 1/2 end up using it regularly, and of those who use it regularly, perhaps 1/2 continue to use it for more than 1-2 years.” With the documented challenges to CPAP compliance, the fact remains that oral appliances are an attractive option for many patients. Dentists looking to capitalize on the rising numbers of newly diagnosed patients need to know the clinical and financial tips that can mean the difference between success and failure. The ASBA Annual Meeting, scheduled for April 21-22, 2017, in Phoenix, Arizona, is the place to find this knowledge. With a laser-like focus on the business 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. “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.” For dentists who are interested in treating retired NFL players, the ASBA conference will be covering ways to participate in the newly created Greater Good Fund, a $42 million court-ordered fund specifically earmarked to help gridiron veterans. “This money is now going to benefit the former players and dentistry is part of that,” enthuses Gergen. “It’s a compensation plan for physicians and dentists to be paid out of this fund. It covers all forms of dentistry, including oral appliances.” For more information about overall health screenings for former NFL players, more information about the ASBA, or how to become a Diplomate of the ASBA, call David Gergen at 602-478-9713 You may also register for the Sleep and Wellness Conference Here http://sleep-conference.com Source: Alan Hickey, American Sleep and Breathing Academy

In a recently well planned initiative orchestrated by Pro Player Health Alliance and Living Heart Foundation, free overall health screenings are available nationwide to retired NFL players throughout the year. Due to the high standards of excellence set for the players, the sleep apnea screenings are overseen exclusively by American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA) diplomates. Dr. Dian Olah, DMD, D’ASBA, said, “About one month ago David Gergen asked me to assist with an overall health screening for former NFL players at the annual NFLPA meeting in Scottsdale, AZ. I was excited and honored to have the opportunity to join a team of 3 other ASBA diplomates in helping the retired players with their sleep apnea needs; unbeknownst to me, David had even more plans for me in the works.” While these screenings are revolutionary in regards to awareness of player health, they have become the exact model of the perfect system that gives a patient the best odds for successfully improving their quality of life- doctors of different fields coming together and working as one team to ensure the best results are seen. For example, the ASBA doctors overseeing sleep apnea screenings saw Dr. Jose Del Ocampo, M.D., one of Arizona’s top neurologists and Medical Director for Arrowhead Pro Sleep, directly next to them. This provided the opportunity for instant collaboration between two doctors that yielded unrivaled patient care. After the event concluded, news of Dr. Olah’s work with the players quickly spread. This directly led to Beverly Hills Sleep Center’s director and a 204 bed private hospital’s medical director choosing Dr. Dian Olah as their oral appliance therapy patient referral designation. Dr. Olah’s assistant said, “She [Dian] actually cried tears of joy when she found out the sleep center and hospital were going to refer all of their oral appliance therapy cases to her for sleep apnea treatment. She said David Gergen was a godsend and couldn’t believe he didn’t tell her all of this was going to happen. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least.” Dr. Olah added to her response by saying, “I wish I would have joined the ASBA years ago. My sleep practice would have been so much more successful so much earlier. What this academy has going on really is magical. The Pro Player Health Alliance under promises and extremely over delivers. I cannot say enough good things about David Gergen, Pro Player Health Alliance and the ASBA.” To learn more about treating former NFL players call David Gergen at 602-478-9713. To learn more about the American Sleep and Breathing Academy or become a diplomate of the academy visit sleep-conference.com.

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) recently chose Scottsdale, Arizona, to host its annual meeting for player representatives. Along with usual discussions of player wages, benefits, and positional elections, the Pro Player Health Alliance (PPHA), Living Heart Foundation, and Redirect Health offered free health screenings for former players. More than 100 retired players took advantage of the screenings where they were assessed for body composition, blood pressure, pulmonary function, hearing, sleep apnea, and more. American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA) Diplomates, Dr. Mark Castle, Dr. Dian Olah, Dr. Anthony Scianni and Dr. Kevin Mueller, were chosen to oversee the sleep apnea screenings. They later became known as the “Dream Team” by the end of the event, because they were able to help every player to get tested and referred to an ASBA dental sleep specialist for oral appliance therapy. Dr. Rodolfo Ferrate, M.D., who flew from Utah to assist with the screenings at the NFLPA meeting, explained sleep apnea and its harmful effects. Dr. Ferrate mentioned, “A lot of these players know they have issues with sleep disordered breathing during the night, but many of them simply haven’t been properly educated on how detrimental it can be to their health. These screenings are necessary to not only examine overall health, but to put the former players on the right path to a better quality of life by letting them know what’s happening to their body and showing them treatment options.”   For more information about overall health screenings for former NFL players, more information about the ASBA, or how to become a Diplomate of the ASBA, call David Gergen at 602-478-9713.

A year ago, nobody knew who Dr. Anthony Scianni was in dental sleep medicine . In only six months after joining the American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA), he has been elected to the board of the ASBA and now is one of the fastest rising stars in dental sleep medicine. He is the only dentist selected by David Gergen and the Pro Players Health Alliance to treat former pro football players for obstructive sleep apnea in the  New Jersey chapter of the  National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). At the Pro Bowl game, a fan in the stands walked up to him and David Gergen and said, “You are the guys doing dental sleep medicine for the national football league aren’t you?” Gergen leaned in and mentioned to Scianni things like this will  be happening more and more as he continued to work with the former players. The NFL is multifaceted and yet very tight niched. Recently, a 42 million dollar dental program for general dentistry paid for by an NFL fund was presented to David Gergen and the Pro Players Health Alliance to administer and manage. Gergen being in orthodontics and removable appliances (TMD/Sleep) his entire career, knew he needed to reach out to a dental expert. Because of his success with Gergen in the ASBA and the NFLPA dental sleep program, his first thought was to turn to Dr. Anthony Scianni. Dr.Scianni, who is a well respected dentist with over 20 years of experience in general dentistry and dental insurance, served as  an dental insurance consultant for over 8 year right out of dental school.  Gergen instantly knew that this was a perfect fit for the new NFL program. Gergen is always loyal to the former players and his industry – dentistry. So he knew he had to find a way to make sure the fund will be managed and administered properly and at the same time be confident that the former players still  receive their maximum dental benefits. Gergen and Scianni will roll out in April the first ever NFLPA dental program paid for by the fund – up to $2,000 per player annually. Dr. Scianni has be named the Managing Director of Pro Player Health Alliance. A New Jersey native, Dr. Scianni graduated from Rutgers University in 1982. With a Bachelors Degree in microbiology and business, Dr. Scianni entered dental school at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He received his D.M.D. degree in 1986 and graduated at the top his class with honors. Since graduating from dental school, Dr Scianni has followed a tradition of high-quality dentistry with personalized care. His philosophy is to use the latest techniques and technology to help maintain the patient’s oral health. Strongly committed to ongoing professional education, Dr. Scianni participates in many continuing education courses, seminars and clinics. He has attended over 1000 hours of continuing education in implant, cosmetic and restorative dentistry and sleep disordered breathing. He has received advanced training in implant dentistry from N.Y.U. College of Dentistry as well as  advanced training in cosmetic and restorative dentistry from some of the world’s most renowned clinicians. Dr. Scianni is affiliated with multiple dental associations including; the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry,  the American Academy of Oral Implantologist, and the American Sleep and Breathing Academy. He is also an expert contributing writer for a local magazine. Dr. Scianni has over two decades of practicing dentistry in New Jersey and relocated his practice, Renaissance Smiles to Colts Neck, NJ in 1993. Through his constant pursuit for perfection, Dr. Scianni incorporates the latest technology and the most advanced techniques to provide his patients with the highest level of care possible. Dr. Scianni and his team are committed to staying up to date on the most recent advances in dentistry and the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. As his general practice grew and through hs treatment of patients over many years, Dr. Scianni recognized that many of his patients had sleep disordered breathing problems that were not being diagnosed or treated by their physicians. Because Dr. Scianni has found it increasingly important to devote more time and resources to the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea which affects over 18 million people and which is largely undiagnosed, he has opened  The Center for Dental Sleep Medicine. If you have any questions about general dentistry, dental sleep medicine or you want to be part of the Pro Player Health Alliance programs, contact David Gergen at 602-478-9713.

The NFLPA’s annual meeting will be located in Scottsdale, AZ during March 17-21. The meeting is intended for positional elections, news conferences, reviews concerning wages, hours and working conditions and discussing rights as professional football players in the National Football League. This year’s agenda will be slightly different. Being added to the sold out event will be former player screenings for overall health which will include vision, hearing, blood work, pulmonology, sleep apnea and more. Due to the record breaking amount of former players who registered for the screening, it was necessary to make the screening a two day event – March 19-20. American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA) Diplomates (Dr. Dian Olah, Dr. Anthony Scianni, Dr. Kevin Mueller and Dr. Mark Castle) were chosen by David Gergen, CEO of the ASBA, to handle all sleep apnea screening, testing, oral appliance delivery and impression materials. Screenings of this nature are held nationwide throughout the year thanks to the efforts of the NFLPA, Living Heart Foundation and Pro Player Health Alliance. On average, ASBA Diplomates who participate in the screenings see anywhere from 20-40 NFL patients. To become a Diplomate of the ASBA and find out how to work with retired NFL players in need of sleep apnea treatment, register to sit for the next Diplomacy exam at sleep-conference.com. Event Details Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa/Gainey Ranch 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Road Scottsdale, Arizona 85258 United States

The American Sleep and Breathing Academy (ASBA), the premier academy for dental sleep medicine education and practice management, has partnered with The American Board of Sleep and Breathing (ABSB). The ABSB is an independent organization that provides a Diplomate designation for dentists who provide evidence of knowledge and skill in the provision of oral appliance therapy for sleep and breathing disorders. The certification program within the ASBA/ABSB exists purely for the certification of dentists in dental sleep medicine. Dentists that complete the ABSB certification program will know that they have taken part in a rigorous process that enables them to create a superior product. It will enable them to treat more patients with oral appliance therapy and positional therapy, in a more efficient and cost effective manner. According to most states Dental Practice Acts, dentists are allowed to diagnose and treat dental disease as needed. However, in the DSM arena, this is not the case. In the DSM arena, the dentist is allowed to treat a life threatening medical condition, after they have been diagnosed by a physician. Physicians are obligated to provide the best care for their patients, therefore they must be overly fastidious when it comes to referrals. Physicians are required to be certified in their field, and if you are a sleep dentist, certification in your field will eventually be mandatory. The 2017 certification exam for the American Sleep and Breathing Academy is scheduled for April 23, 2017, in Phoenix, AZ with the Exam Review Course being April 20, 2017. If you are interested in becoming a Diplomate of the ASBA, CLICK HERE or email info@myasba.com.

If you’re going to take the time and expense to attend a conference, you want it to count. You want it to translate to more business. The American Sleep & Breathing Academy (ASBA) understands this better than any of the organizations out there. As vice president of Sleep Group Solutions (SGS), I will be speaking at the ASBA show. At SGS, we have gotten away from the clinical didactic stuff and really focused on what makes an office successful in dental sleep medicine. The science is great, but at the end of the day there is a business and a protocol—a cookbook. Seminars at the ASBA Conference can show you how to turn patients through the door, because if we’re not treating patients, nobody is making money. Register for the Sleep and Wellness Conference Here http://sleep-conference.com You may have heard that the dental sleep medicine field is “blowing up” (in a good way) but you may feel like you’ve been left behind. If you truly make the commitment to learn, you can get out in front of this phenomenon and get results. In the dental sleep medicine field, there are really not a lot of options. Other academies are regurgitating the same tired material and teaching the same stuff that we have seen and heard for years. The ASBA has seized on the pulse of what is really happening in the industry. That’s a fact. If you make the trip to ASBA’s conference, you will see right away that it’s a very pro dental approach and cutting edge in terms of what is being discussed. You will hear practical tips and applications to succeed in the business, and you can use these tips to be more successful. It’s not all about the science. Learning the business side is vitally important, and it can mean the difference between success and failure. The field of dental sleep medicine is not going anywhere. Quite the opposite; it’s expanding. If you want to get on board this train, you should make the trip to Phoenix, AZ this April. I look forward to seeing you there. Register for the Sleep and Wellness Conference Here http://sleep-conference.com John Nadeau is vice president, Sleep Group Solutions, Hollywood, Florida