Frequently asked questions
How do I choose a training program in dental sleep medicine?
a) The program needs to be evidence-based, yet highly practical with demonstrations of all the clinical steps involving patients.
b) The management of sleep apnoea is multi-disciplinary. There needs to be several specialities represented in the training program. Apart from dentists there should be presentations from a sleep physician, ENT, sleep psychologist, orthodontist and maxillofacial surgeon.
c) The availability of mentoring and one on one support are crucial in the initial stages of incorporating oral appliance therapy into your practice.
d) It is important to receive background reading material, including foundational articles and seminal, landmark studies.
What are the advantages of online training?
a) You will be able to see all the clinical steps up close with patients, including the initial consultation and fitting visit – as if you were in the clinic. This is difficult to achieve in an auditorium.
b) Importantly you can revise and go over the recordings as many times as you need prior to seeing patients.
c) The recordings are also ideal for training designated key staff members who will play an essential role in providing oral appliances.
d) We were able to assemble many of the best clinicians in the world in one training program.
How will I organise sleep studies for my patients?
Organising and facilitating sleep studies for your patients is absolutely necessary for a successful practice in dental sleep medicine.
You will be assisted in setting in place a system for screening and diagnosing your patients. As part of this process, you will receive a report for each patient, outlining the diagnosis and treatment recommendations from a sleep physician knowledgeable and supportive of oral appliances as treatment.
Can I share the program with staff members?
Absolutely, we recommended that you include key staff members in the training, as they will have an essential role in implementing the new procedures into your practice.
Your staff will also have an important role to play in educating patients and motivating them to make appointments.
The program covers the essential communication skills for effectively interacting with patients.
What if I’m already treating patients?
The program is suitable for experienced practitioners, as you will be exposed to the latest systems of practice and the newest array of appliances.
You can expect to take oral appliance therapy to a new level and make it a significant part of your clinic.
Where will my patients come from?
You will already have many patients in your practice that would be good candidates and benefit greatly from treatment.
We will cover marketing, methods of utilising newsletters, emails, social media, websites and other effective ways of marketing dental sleep medicine for your practice.
Also covered will be external marketing which has proven to be very effective in attracting patients from GPs and other health professionals. Most of these patients and their families will go on to become long-term patients of the practice.
Will I need to purchase any new equipment?
No expensive equipment is needed and there are no start-up costs to commence treating patients.
We will provide all necessary clinical and patient education materials, along with a George Gauge for registration and a demonstration model of an appliance, as part of the program registration.
There is nothing else you will need to commence treating patients.
How long do I have to complete the training?
Access to this program and content is guaranteed for a minimum of two years from registration.
While there is no set time to complete the program individually, CPD certification is generated and stored in the portal. By completing each module as you progress, once all modules have been completed a certificate is issued. We recommend you download a copy when it becomes available.
How many CPD points will I receive for my participation?
You will receive a total of 14 CPD points for participating in the program.