Dental Sleep Medicine Insider February 2016 | Page 16

DR. RICHARD DRAKE

WHY DON’T PHYSICIANS
REFER YOU PATIENTS?
O

ftentimes, my partner,
Dr. Gy Yatros and I talk about
the four pillars of a successful
dental sleep practice. The first
pillar (screening) is there to
help you find patients. Surely,
the lowest hanging fruit are
the patients in your waiting
room every day. Undoubtedly,
the most successful practices
utilize the robust DS3 digital
screening system, but there
are many other patients in
your community whom you
could treat successfully if given
the chance. That’s one of the
biggest frustrations we see
across the country; the fact that
we don’t often get the chance.
I’ve heard it a million times.

DR. RICHARD DRAKE
DS3 CO-FOUNDER
“Physicians in my community
just don’t refer much, if any, to
me.” Turns out, you’re right.
In the January, 2016 issue of
Sleep Review, they published
the results of a poll, where they
asked sleep directors (about ¾
of respondents) and physicians
(about ¼ of respondents) why
they didn’t refer patients out
for dental device therapy.
I give you their top four reasons
now, and ask that you please
don’t shoot the messenger!
1. “I want to try other strategies
to get the patient CPAP
adherent.”

2. “The patient won’t be able to
afford the oral appliance.”
3. “The oral appliance may not
be efficacious.”
4. “The oral appliance won’t
record the patient’s adherence
with the therapy.”
This provides us with some
valuable
information
and
confirms
my
personal
experiences over the years.
Given this information, let’s
make a game plan so that when
you do get in front of the sleep
director or a physician, you
are addressing their primary
concerns. Let’s take them one
at a time.

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