By : Randy Clare Senior Editor SleepScholar.com
I had the opportunity to make a presentation on Social Media at the Dental Sleep Therapy Symposium presented by Gergens Ortho this past weekend. This was my first visit to the Sonoma wine region and I was really impressed with the feel of the place. It took an hour or so to get to the hotel from San Francisco International. The drive through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate bridge is actually one of the most scenic drives in the United States and a key non academic upside of the meeting.
I have been attending academic meetings for over 20 years and this was my first in a working winery.
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Initially I was surprised, however David Gergens explained to me that the symposium outgrew the tasting rooms and the overflow was the warehouse. Initially the meeting was planned for 30 people however over 70 were present for the event. The staff at Ty Caton winery rapidly adapted the facility to our needs and there was a tremendous academic yield to the meeting. Ty Caton was an excellent host and made sure that everything was in place from catering to business
supplies. I felt that once the meeting got going we totally forgot that we were in the warehouse, a great deal of work was getting done.
David Gergens was very clear that this was to be an advanced course that was aimed at Dental practitioners that have an interest in Sleep Dentistry, but primarily for Dentists who have decided to make sleep a focus of their practice. This required an evidence based approach supported by a textbook on the subject. The text provided was “the Dental Management of Sleep Disorders” by Dr Dennis Bailey and Dr Ron Attanasio, this is the first meeting I have attended that provided a textbook of this quality. There were numerous hands on activities scheduled and a sample of the GAT by Silencer products, S-force PVC impression material from Flavin Health and Wellness and the ANDRA gauge were also provided to give the attendees something to work with as soon as they got home. I thought that the hands on presentations were the highlight of the meeting.
First day of the meeting Dr Ed Spiegel DDS presented medical documentation and insurance reimbursement. This has been a specialty for Dr Spiegel for many years and judging by the questions from the audience, clearly is an area of interest for dentists who are practicing in the medical model. This presentation was very detailed and each office seemed to have many detailed questions that needed to be addressed. Documentation and record keeping as well as Medicare and Medical insurance seem to be a weekend course in themselves.
Dr Rod Willey made 2 presentations this weekend first was the presentation he gives to Awake groups and public forums. This presentation was a very clear description not only of what OSA is but how it impacts a persons life from childhood through retirement. I thought that the presentation was well put together and really made the topic accessible for the layman. Dr Willey’s second presentation was much more focused on building a successful sleep practice. Dr Willey is a very successful businessman and very involved in his community in Peoria IL. Sleep has only been a part of his practice for the last 18 months. In that time Dr Willie has built his practice into a nationally recognized center of excellence.
Jeffory Wyscarver RPSGT made a deep dive into the art and science of sleep diagnostics. The discussion of wave forms and EEG montages are not typically a part of a dental sleep meeting however the AADSM and the AASM both require some knowledge as part of their diplomate certification. Jeff brought 2 Nox T3 home sleep diagnostic devices for demonstration purposes. The ABI, apnea bruxism index, seems to be the missing link for diagnosing the relationship between bruxism and sleep disordered breathing. This is certainly a subject that will require focus in preparation for deeper discussions of sleep. Jeffory Wyscarver RPSGT will be teaching a comprehensive overnight polysomnography program as part of the Scottsdale study club, September 23-25, 2011, this is a quarterly event and is limited to 12 attendees.
Dr Peter Chase and Dr Bradley Eli DMD, MS made a presentations on the relationship between headache, migraine and sleep disorders in a dental office. Dr Eli is a graduate of the UCLA pain residency program. Dr Eli presented may concepts that are unique to his view of the Sleep dentistry which has been formed over his 20 years of experience in sleep. Dr Eli also lead a hands on bite registration breakout which was very well received. Dr Eli will be presenting the TMD component of the Scottsdale study club October 14 and 15th.
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Dr Chase’s program was excellent. It was very clear that he has spoken extensively on the topic of sleep and TMD. I was struck by the quality of the though around patient communication and the psychology of treatment and treatment acceptance. I look forward to seeing Dr Chase speak again.
Each day of the program Ty Caton Winery hosted an excellent wine tasting. This was another first for me at an academic meeting. The wine was excellent. Contact David Gergens at gxployer@aol.com for info on upcoming events.
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