Dental Sleep Medicine Insider April 2016 | Page 18

Who’s HO W Dr. Douglas Johnson Dr. Douglas Johnson practices general dentistry in Thomaston, GA and DSM exclusively in Macon, GA. He graduated from University of Nebraska in 1969 and flew as a USAF pilot during the Viet Nam war. Dr. Johnson graduated from UF College of Dentistry 1982 and is currently transitioning to offering DSM full-time. Dr. Johnson can be contacted by email at [email protected]. Brandie: What prompted your interest in DSM? Dr. Johnson: I had taken several courses in dental sleep medicine and wanted to implement it in my practice, but each attempt just fizzled. Truthfully, I was looking for an additional profit center. I was looking for another course when I stumbled across the Dental Sleep Solutions website and watched the video describing the software. I knew right away that this was the key to successful implementation. You guys had figured it out. Brandie: What have you done to increase your reach and help more OSA patients? Dr. Johnson: My practice is in a small town, but I also have a presence in Macon as well. Although we screen all of our patients and identify candidates for sleep testing in my rural practice, many times the patients cannot afford therapy because of insurance deductibles and co-pays. I called one of my buddies, Dr. Jason Mann, in Macon and asked him if he was doing sleep medicine. He wanted to, but was too busy. Bingo! We made a deal; I would come in and organize and implement a sleep apnea program. When it was up and running I would start doing all of the oral appliance therapy and he could jump in when he was ready. It has worked out beautifully. Brandie: How do you screen your patients & what impact has this had on your practice? Dr. Johnson: Screening is key. I told Dr. Mann we needed to screen every adult patient in his practice. He is an amazing guy and immediately said “go for it”. In the first two weeks we identified 28 patients who needed sleep \