Part 1

Available beginning: 12/2/24

Pre-Recorded Lecture

Christopher Hart, DDS

DSM Practice Model Decisions and Goal Setting

Dentists trained in recognizing and managing patients with sleep-related breathing disorders should carefully considering practice model alternatives before establishing their goals. Historically, in-network insurance reimbursements have improved patient acceptance and provided adequate compensation for OAT. Recent polling results reveal that dentists new to DSM highly rank inability to gain access to commercial insurance networks as a barrier to practice growth and referral sources. However, a successful DSM practice can be developed around a variety of billing models, and depending upon clinical readiness to accelerate outside referrals, a fee-for-service model presents many advantages. This lecture will also introduce simplified analysis and decision-making steps that can be applied to the entire Practice Management Program.

Machell Hudson, RDH

The Untapped Power of Team Buy-in

Both dentistry and dental sleep medicine (DSM) rely heavily on non-DDS team members for independent delivery of clinical procedures and administration management. Since dental sleep medicine is a therapy, not just a procedure, successful outcomes are supported by the human-connection capabilities of all team members. Communication skills such as active listening and empathy are often innate tendencies but can also be developed through training and awareness. When applied to patient education and non-threatening guidance toward health decisions, these skills form a basis for both best outcomes and practice success. This lecture will focus on both the critical nature of team buy-in and how to harness the power of innate tendencies with rehearsed skills to support patient conversions.

Courtney Snow

Top FIVE Medical Reimbursement Tasks to Tackle Today

As dentists explore reimbursement models that support their practice goals, timely preparation is a critical first step. This lecture will provide a clear action plan and prepare the entire team to engage in reimbursement conversations. 

Paul Jacobs, DDS

Screening: Finding What Patients Need and Meeting Them “Where They Are”

Polling of DSM providers reveals that an early barrier to OAT is the failure of a referred patient to seek the recommended medical consultation. Part of the difficulty may be due to lack of a functioning, team-coordinated, referral management algorithm that includes supporting documentation, paperwork and follow up. While this is a necessity, an often-overlooked failure point is grounded in the soft skills found in effective communication and trust building while at the same time determining which step of the algorithm a patient may be ready to enter. This is often referred to as “meeting the patient where they are” and begins with facilitating a patient’s self-discovery of sleep-associated noxious symptoms and co-morbidities. The ultimate goal is to elicit their level of desire to seek possible solutions while providing whatever assistance they need at that time. The patient’s interest or readiness is influenced by many factors and is not a static state. All team members should participate in this process which will improve with training, role-play and repetition.

Diana Batoon, DMD

The Dentist’s Role as a DSM Consultant: Building Trust-Based Relationships

Polling of DSM providers reveals that a significant barrier to OAT is the failure of a diagnosed patient to proceed with OAT, even in the face of CPAP failure or intolerance. Two factors are commonly blamed: 1) physicians refer to more experienced dentists with whom they’ve already developed a relationship, and 2) dentists cannot gain access to commercial insurance networks that help defray patients’ out of pocket expense. However, successful DSM practitioners report that they targeted internal and controllable factors that ultimately overcame these two early roadblocks. This lecture will focus on those strategies that convert patients in need to OAT while tracking patient satisfaction metrics.

Demo

Machell Hudson, RDH
Paul Jacobs, DDS

Effective Sleep Interviews; Building Trust from the First Encounter

Dentists and team members new to DSM often complain that patients who are suspected of having OSA fail to act on medical referral recommendations. Lack of success at this first step toward treatment will thwart a dentist’s goal to treat patients in need with oral appliance therapy. Just as in general dentistry, case acceptance relies heavily on the education and involvement of the entire team. Strategic, patient-centric communication is equally important and should be incorporated into any conversation relating to the patient’s sleep health. This role-play will demonstrate a sleep interview that transcends the use of a written screening form and elicits authentic responses with open-ended questions and active listening.

Demo

Machell Hudson, RDH
Paul Jacobs, DDS

Empowering the Patient’s Treatment Choices through a “Smart Referral”

When a patient screens positively during a sleep interview by a team member, the next pivotal step is a brief consultation with the DSM dentist to verify the patient’s needs and readiness to proceed. Team members are called upon to summarize the results of their conversation with the patient, stressing patient motivators and medical risk. The role of the dentist is to verify the validity of the summary with the patient, asking for an explanation when needed and determine next steps. A “smart referral” is a strategic plan of action that establishes goals and sets expectations for the referral, while securing a level of commitment from the patient. This role-play will demonstrate the impact of a coordinated and scripted DSM team approach.

Demo

Diana Batoon, DMD
David Schwartz, DDS

Moving a Patient to "Yes"

A patient that has proceeded with a medical referral and diagnosis of OSA is presumed to be actively seeking quality of life or medical solutions for disease. However, a successful conversion to OAT involves confirming a patient’s recognition of disease impact, empowering a patient’s control over treatment decisions, identifying a patient’s most pressing motivator, and overcoming barriers to proceeding. This role-play will demonstrate a typical scenario with financial barriers.

Demo

Financial Close

Part 2

Available beginning: 3/17/25

Pre-Recorded Lecture

David Schwartz, DDS

Winning Delivery Techniques to Support Successful Adherence

The delivery appointment is a pivotal moment in oral appliance therapy, setting the stage for adherence in the first three critical weeks of treatment and beyond. A patient will often present to the appointment with questions and concerns but should leave feeling confident in their dental team and well prepared for their treatment. This lecture will explore winning strategies for empowering the patient and maximizing adherence to all treatment recommendations.

Pre-Recorded Lecture

Katherine Phillips, DDS

Efficiently Finding Therapeutic Outcomes and Managing Objective Testing

Ideally, a patient would feel immediate symptomatic relief with the use of an oral appliance without side effects and subsequent efficacy testing would confirm adequate management of obstructive events. However, real-world scenarios are much more complex. This lecture will address benefits of practice management systems to support clinical pathways during the calibration process. Consideration of pros and cons of in-office objective testing will be discussed, along with suggestions for standardizing protocols and systems.

Pre-Recorded Lecture

Jarrett Grosdidier, DDS

Airtight Patient Follow Up and Why it Matters

In light of the serious consequences of untreated OSA, it follows that patient adherence is the first step towards adequate treatment. Treatment goals become diluted and motivation wanes with delays in results. Standardizing time intervals and defining clear objectives of each follow up visit will serve to improve team efficiency and avoid drawn out calibration times. In addition, there is an expectation within the medical community that optimum efficacy is validated within 90 days and sharing office protocols and metrics with medical referrers will enhance working collaborations. This lecture will provide guidance in establishing systems to support team efficiency, objective efficacy and physician metric-supported outreach.

Pre-Recorded Lecture

John Carollo, DMD

Developing a Trust-Based Referral Network

If the dentist and team have taken the time and effort to incorporate the practices recommended in this program, the rewards should already be evident. Rehearsed and scripted conversations feel more comfortable, clinical experience has increased with each case and checklist-supported practices reduce errors and patient drop off.  While some physician collaborations are likely already in place, it is time to strategize a greater reach into the medical community. This lecture will focus on internal and external marketing efforts for a DSM practice, with an emphasis on designing a productive physician encounter.

Demo

Diana Batoon, DMD
David Schwartz, DDS

Building Trust-Based Physician Relationships

Live Q&A - June TBD

Ari Wulfsohn, DMD
Eric Runyon, DDS
Christopher Hart, DDS
Courtney Snow

Live Q&A - July TBD

Ari Wulfsohn, DMD
Eric Runyon, DDS
Machell Hudson, RDH
Paul Jacobs, DDS
Diana Batoon, DMD
John Carollo, DMD

Live Q&A - August TBD

Ari Wulfsohn, DMD
Eric Runyon, DDS
David Schwartz, DDS
Katherine Phillips, DDS
Jarrett Grosdidier, DDS