Mastery 1

CE hours: 37.75

Mastery 1 is the first course of a two-part program designed for dentists with an interest in, but little or no background, in treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with oral appliance therapy (OAT). This initial course examines fundamental concepts and practical techniques necessary to incorporate OAT into a general or specialty dental practice. Participants will be taught the AADSM practice protocols and clinical guidelines necessary to perform the proper patient screening, examination and record acquisition to begin treatment with competence and confidence.

Following this course, there will be a small exam that will assess competence.
After successful completion of this exam, dentists will be eligible to earn the AADSM Qualified Dentist designation. To learn more about the Qualified Dentist designation, click here.

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, attendees will be able to:
1. Develop a critical understanding of the physiology of healthy sleep and the pathophysiology of multiple sleep disorders.
2. Explain the complexity of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and a dentist’s role in managing sleep-disordered breathing.
3. Describe demographics, pre-deposing factors, signs and symptoms, and co-morbidities of SDB and various techniques to identify patients at risk.
4. Immediately establish an effective screening protocol and physician referral network supported by inner office systems to streamline and document referrals.
5. Treat OSA with confidence by identifying patients at risk for SDB, performing a comprehensive sleep interview and DSM examination, discussing informed consent, determining a protrusive bite position, acquiring adequate impressions and designing and fitting a mandibular advancement device compatible with the patient’s needs.
6. Using standardized nomenclature, describe attributes and limitations of various device features to aid in selection and design.
7. Incorporate accepted standards of dental sleep medicine practice into a general practice or specialty practice setting with appropriate patient flow algorithms, practice standard requirements, documentation and records.
8. Critically analyze research articles to support clinical decision-making.

Prerequisites
Submit a copy of a valid dental license and proof of professional liability insurance.

Overview
Click the button below to view an outline of the topics covered in Mastery 1, including the length of time for each lecture/activity. 
 
Clinical Competency Assignments
Mastery 1 includes several Clinical Competency assignments that require patient interaction. These assignments are required to successfully complete Mastery 1. Registered attendees will receive detailed instructions regarding these assignments during each course window. For an overview of Clinical Competency assignments, download the overview: