Dental Sleep Medicine Insider December 2015 | Page 2

Jason Tierney Editor-in-chief IN BED WITH THE EDITOR WHAT’S BEHIND PILLAR #3? The Dental Sleep Medicine Insider [email protected] 314-882-7746 Years ago, I worked at a large dental lab that made a few hundred oral appliances each month. Time and time again, I found that many dentists were clueless about which devices they should use for their patients. They made decisions based solely on criteria such as price, lab advertisements, or what their golf buddies told them to use without truly understanding or considering the patient’s unique presentation. While the adage that all devices push or pull the mandible forward is true, is it really that simple? Does every device work the same for every patient? My colleagues at DS3 coined the term “the Four Pillars” to describe the necessary elements of a successful dental sleep medicine practice. These Pillars are Screening, Testing, Treating, and Billing. This month’s issue will focus on the dentist’s primary role in the third Pillar, namely Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT). This is actually the easiest and most intuitive pillar for most dentists to incorporate. We’re currently in OAT season, the year end rush to maximize insurance benefits. OAT is on your mind. This month’s contributors will provide you with a cornucopia of valuable OAT information from appliance selection criteria and trial appliances to the unveiling of a new device that’s ideal for bruxers and a material that ensures your devices fit properly every time. The Treatment Pillar is in your wheelhouse. Learn as much as you can here and from other sources. Then, get out there and use this info to help more of your patients. Have a safe and happy holiday season. We’ll see you in January with our special TMD issue.