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Supporting Your Practice

Nurturing Relationships in Sleep Apnea Management

Dr. John Viviano
General Dentist, Mississauga ON

In this episode of CDA Oasis Live, Dr. John Viviano, general practitioner and expert in sleep dentistry from Mississauga ON, continues his series of presentations on the management of sleep apnea in the dental office.

In conversation with Dr. John O’Keefe, Dr. Viviano outlines the key relationships involved in the care of the sleep apnea patient. He details the role of the dentist in ongoing care, and highlights the importance and benefits of a multi-disciplinary approach.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the conversation….

  • In order for patients to get proper care during sleep apnea treatment, it is important for the dentist to build positive relationships with other key professionals and to know their own role in the management of the patient.
  • In order to succeed, the dentist needs to demonstrate knowledge and confidence, and to understand the evidence and the guidelines.
  • Although CPAP is considered to be first line care, it is standard of care to prescribe oral appliances in all cases where the patient prefers an oral appliance. Very few physicians are aware of this.
  • With better multidisciplinary relationships, many of these untreated patients can be salvaged.
  • For every 100 diagnosed patients:
    • 50 end up on CPAP
    • Only 33 of these wear CPAP all night
    • < 10 are on oral appliance therapy
    • < 5 have surgery of some kind
    • 35 are not treated at all

We hope you find the conversation useful. We welcome your thoughts, questions and/or suggestions about this post and other topics. Leave a comment in the box below or send us your feedback by email.

Until next time!
CDA Oasis Team

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