sleep seminars Archives - Sleep Group Solutions

2019 Dental Sleep Continuing Education Booklet

Daniel SGS — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 18:52:50 +0000

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2018 SGS Dental Continuing Education Booklet

Daniel SGS — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:04:04 +0000

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View Our Updated 2017 Dental Continuing Education Booklet

Daniel SGS — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 06:55:40 +0000

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Don’t let your patients leave your office satisfied!

Daniel SGS — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 21:03:50 +0000

Satisfied is not enough. Make them leave you ENTHUSIASTIC, and eager to tell the first person they see about their great experience.

At the end of each dental visit a closure is needed to leave your patient with a WOW! feeling. A five part, one minute DEBRIEFING.

Such a communication, while the patient is still in the treatment room will produce the following benefits:

enhance the patient’s dental I.Q.,
result in a higher treatment acceptance,
demonstrate to the patient the importance of the next visit,
minimize cancellations,
increase respect for the professionalism of the Team,
create better patient health.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF A DEBRIEFING

and some scripting suggestions

[The scripting examples are just some starting points and can certainly be customized to your style and comfort.]

(One example)

1. WHAT WAS DONE TODAY: “Today we did a complete exam. We took a lot of measurements and recordings.”
2. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM TODAY’S VISIT: “I will sit down and dedicate some uninterrupted time to study these results. Then I’ll develop a course of treatment.

3. WHAT WILL BE DONE AT THE NEXT VISIT: “At that time I’ll present you with a plan of treatment that will be based on your needs and on the desires you told me about. I need to see you back in a week to ten days and we’ll review my findings. At that time we’ll also give you costs and alternatives for payment.”
4. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PATIENT TO RETURN: “This plan is only effective at this time. Conditions in the mouth change rapidly, etc.” “If we let this situation continue past that time……………can happen.”

5. “WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE TODAY?” [We need to be certain that the patient is not leaving with any questions.]

Add some words of encouragement and enthusiasm: “I feel good about what we can do for you. I’m excited about getting started on this. Next visit I’ll show you some great results we had in other cases just like this, and what your results will look like.”

Another example

1. WHAT WAS DONE TODAY: “Today we shaped three teeth for your cosmetic porcelain bridge. We took impressions and a lot of measurements and recordings. We placed temporary crowns on those teeth”
2. WHAT TO EXPECT FROM TODAY’S VISIT: “When the anesthetic wears off in a few hours, you may have a little tenderness. Here are some written post-treatment instructions.”

3. WHAT WILL BE DONE AT THE NEXT VISIT: “In your next visit I will try in your finished bridge, and if everything is perfect I will cement it in place.”

4. WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PATIENT TO RETURN: “We’ll make you an appointment for 2 weeks from now.” “If the bridge is completed before your next appointment, may we call you to come in sooner?” “Conditions in the mouth change rapidly and we don’t want the teeth to shift, etc.”

5. “WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE TODAY?” [We need to be certain that the patient is not leaving with any questions.]

This debriefing can be done at the end of every dental visit. The patient can receive this closure from the dentist, the chairside assistant, and the administrative coordinator, each in his or her own style. The objective is to have every patient leave the office ENTHUSIASTIC, and eager to tell the first person they see about their great dental office experiences.

Ready to Change Your Patient’s Lives for the Better?

Daniel SGS — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 19:53:20 +0000

I want to share my new passion for what can change your patient’s and your lives, by introducing the treatment of sleep apnea and snoring to your practice.

There are practice and life changing benefits to adding dental sleep medicine to your practice. And this is true for new, mature and even near retirement dentists!

I had taken one sleep class prior to the Sleep Group Solution class. It was after that class, that I jumped in! And now, having given over 35 two-day sleep classes, as well as other classes not sponsored by Sleep Group Solutions, and having practiced it for 7 years, I want to take the time to explain why it is so incredible.

If you are a senior dentist, like myself, it will prolong your career by making it fun and profitable. Four attendees, in 2016, told me they left retirement to begin treating sleep apnea. Others have delayed retirement. Why? It’s physically easier than general dentistry, mentally stimulating, rewarding for lives prolonged and discovering imminently serious medical issues, and on top of it, financially profitable. And if your body is feeling the effects of years at the chair, treating sleep disorders can be a relief!

If you are a busy or want to be busier midlife practitioner, you can do the same as a senior, but add revenue, make it staff driven, and often add a practitioner to do general dentistry as you get too “busy” due to patient demands. That’s a good thing! And of course, the additional services make a practice more valuable in a future sale, merger, or for adding a partner or associate.

If you are a young or new practitioner, even starting out, what can be better than offering this additional service to the 34% of you adult patients who might be candidates for this treatment. And, of course, it will help pay the bills and loans.

Many of us don’t realize that the doctor can have staff actually perform the service. Impressions, bites and their associated airway measurements.

For myself, I love to share cases and videos of patient’s whose lives I’ve changed or saved. No other “primary care” medical practitioner takes on this responsibility en masse. The medical model doesn’t allow it, and few PCP’s get involved.

BUT, we work next to the airway, and in addition to the medical histories, we see the signs of sleep disorders every day in the dentition and surrounding tissues. Save some lives, make your day easier, and add incremental revenue, as adding dental sleep medicine doesn’t increase your overall overhead.

Head into 2017 with new passion.

Hope to see you at one of my courses, Dr. Barry Freydberg

The Medical Role of Hygienists in Dental Sleep Medicine

Daniel SGS — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 18:09:34 +0000

Is there anyone in a better position than the Hygienist to discover the signs and symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea? Your field of operations is right there at the opening of the airway.

You can’t miss the signs.
You can see if a large tongue is blocking the passageway to the pharynx. You can see if the sides of the tongue show a scalloping which is indicative of a forceful gasping for precious air. Is the airway blocked laterally by large fauces or tonsils? You can’t miss the patient’s Mallampati score.

Do the occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth show evidence of bruxism? Are the incisal edges of the anterior teeth worn down? Does your patient have acid reflux? TMJ pain? A severely receded (retrognathic) chin?

And in your interview with your patient do you learn that your patient has daytime sleepiness, often dozes off while watching TV or at the movies, and even worse, feels sleepy while driving?

Were you informed that the patient’s spouse complains about loud snoring?
Do you see an overweight patient with a large diameter neck?

Listen to the alert!
These are some of the more common signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. They are so easy to see. These warning signs are sitting right there in the hygienist’s field of operations and they are screaming out, “Notice us. We are here to destroy your patient”. “We can cancel out all the good that you do for this patient.”

For a diligent Hygienist to miss these warnings would be to surrender a great opportunity to help patients enjoy a better quality of life and, in fact, to save lives. The rewards to you, your practice, and your patients are considerable- both emotionally and financially.

Take action!

Learn more about incorporating Dental Sleep Medicine into your practice, by attending a lecture with Sleep Group Solutions. Be sure to bring your key staff personnel with you when you attend our 2-day dental sleep medicine lecture!

Driver Fatigue: A Deadly Consequence of Sleep Apnea

Daniel SGS — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 19:17:09 +0000

Do you remember the two recent deadly train wrecks attributed to engineers suffering from sleep apnea? The first was in NYC on Metro North RR and the other on NJ Transit commuting from NYC.

It’s known that 1 out of 3 people suffer from a sleep disorder. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can effect anyone in public transportation and in private driving.

The National Highway Safety Administration estimates that “100,000 vehicle accidents, 1500 deaths and 71,000 injuries result from drowsy driving annually.”

Most sleep deprivation results from:

Sleep apnea
Shift work
Certain medications
Long-haul driving
Inadequate time for sleep
Insomnia
Release from a stay in hospital

The state of New Jersey passed a law in 2003 that criminalizes drowsy driving due to its similarity to alcohol or drug impaired driving.

Consuming caffeine is only a short term fix for drowsiness. After 3 nights of deprived sleep, caffeine was shown to be non-effective in combating sleepiness.

Adults need 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night to maintain adequate alertness. With OSA, a person can wake 6-30 plus times per hour to gasp for breath. The brain and other organs are oxygen deprived these many times.

Another consequence of inadequate sleep is that a person, while driving can suffer from “microsleeps” lasting less than a second. In this state, the brain switches from Wake to Sleep mode,

enough time to cause a crash.

Hygienists, as health care providers, are in the perfect position to screen for drowsiness and sleep apnea. We can and will save lives both on the road and in someone’s personal life.

Hygienists Preserving Good Health

More and more dental practices are getting on board for the OSA fight. Shouldn’t your office be one of them? We can help you join the battle and stand out as a life saver. Sleepgs.com

Hey 2017, Welcome!

Daniel SGS — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 19:29:24 +0000

HAPPY NEW YEAR! From all of us over at Sleep Group Solutions!

Here are a few tips to help you create the best dental practice in 2017!

—

1. Make sure your staff is trained and up to date on the latest services offered.

2. Get patient referrals. You can do this by giving your patients something to talk about. Such as offering a life changing service, like treating snoring and sleep apnea. These types of services make patients HAPPY. A happy patient is the best patient.

3. Expand your services to generate more revenue. There are plenty of new ways to generate new revenues in dentistry. Attend a new CEU lecture to get inspired.

4. Create an office culture. Once you find what sets your practice apart from the rest, dive in a little deeper, and you will find your culture.

5. Offer more financial plans or options. Patients are more likely to say YES, if they can come up with a reasonable way to pay for it.

6. Update any dinosaur equipment. Patients want a clean and up to date experience in any area of healthcare. Old school is cool, but not in the dental office. Try reaching out to your vendors, you would be surprised that most offer new units or equipment. You just have to ask!

Sleep Group Solutions Announce 2017 Dates for Staff-Only Lecture, The SGS Boot Camp

Daniel SGS — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 19:04:22 +0000

Staff Members are encouraged to attend the Sleep Group Solutions two-day lecture focusing on successful treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Lecture opportunities in March, May and October.

(Miami, FL) Due to increasing success and attendance in the Sleep Group Solutions boot camp in 2016, SGS will offer the two-day lecture for staff members in 2017 as well. Staff members can attend the lecture in either Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at the SGS headquarters, or in Las Vegas. Dates are set in March, May, and October.

“Dental Sleep Medicine is very staff driven,” says Rebecca Layhe, Director of the SGS Boot Camp Program. “This is an exciting and new field of patient care.” Rebecca serves as the program consultant, coaching teams to achieve their goals as Dental Sleep Medicine specialists.

A video created about the boot camp describes Mrs. Layhe’s passion toward patient care, community education, lecturing and presenting information about sleep disordered breathing and Dental Sleep Medicine to the public. Future attendees can also view the video to see what to expect during the lecture, as well as a few topics covered.

The Sleep Group Solutions Boot Camp is built around supporting staff members involved in DSM screening and treatment. The program will provide a two-day, hands-on training dedicated to their particular roles in snoring and sleep apnea screening and treatment, as well as oral appliance therapy.

The two-day program will focus on patient care, team coordination, case creation and presentation, insurance billing and collections. The program also offers an array of expert speakers, which will be announces soon. All SGS clients are able to register their office for the program. The rate is $99.00 per staff member, and 16 CEU’s will be issued after the course.

2017 Boot Camp Dates:

March 17-18, 2017 (In Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

May 12-13, 2017 (In Ft. Lauderdale, FL

October 20-21, 2017 (In Las Vegas, NV)

For more information on the program, or to register your office staff, contact SGS Client Relations at 954-606-6960 or 888-608-4745.

About SGS Boot Camp

SGS Boot Camp is a training course for dental office staff to learn how to screen patients, how to network, and create marketing relationships, how to talk to patients about Sleep Apnea and how to have everyone on the same page to help the dentist have a successful sleep practice. 16 ceu and lunch provided.

Acid Reflux During the Night Can Be A Scary Experience

Daniel SGS — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 17:48:30 +0000

GERD Can Eat You Away….

By: Dr. Charles Kravitz

Have you ever woken in the middle of the night choking on acid because you’ve inhaled it and can’t breathe?

Try taking in a breath and all you get is a burning in your throat and lungs. You try to expel it but it takes many tries and coughing, burning, burning. You panic, thinking, “Am I going to die?” You possibly could if you hadn’t woken up!

This is what people with GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease) experience many times if they have eaten a spicy meal, eaten too close to bedtime, did not raise their head higher than their body while sleeping, or have SLEEP APNEA.

As a victim of OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) myself, I have experienced this nightmarish incident many times. Fortunately, as I received treatment for OSA, my Acid Reflux, and other systemic disorders, has subsided.

Sleep apnea, of course, is the cessation of breathing for over 10 seconds and up to 90 seconds, repeated many times while sleeping. Snoring is the warning alert.

SLEEP APNEA INFLUENCES ACID REFLUX

How it happens: During the cessations of breathing the body will increase its efforts to take in air. Abdominal contractions are exaggerated and increase until breathing resumes.
The contractions squeeze the stomach and force acid up the esophagus.
The efforts to breathe also increase a negative pressure in the esophagus which also pull up acid.

Secondary effects of OSA, resulting from the GERD, are esophagus and larynx damage, aspiration pneumonia, permanent lung damage, tooth erosion, and tooth sensitivity.

Solutions: People may take medications to control symptoms of GERD, and this helps, but OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) can override the effects of the proton-pump inhibitor (Omeprazole), or other OTC drugs.

Patients in the dental office can be easily screened for OSA at the initial oral exam. Tooth erosion is one consequence, bruxism is another. A sleep questionnaire and other signs of sleep apnea will prompt the need for a HSS (home sleep study). This will determine the diagnosis of OSA and the severity. By treating the sleep apnea we can save teeth and possibly the patient’s life.

It’s so important to treat the sleep apnea for many reasons. GERD is just one of them. One out of 3 people have a sleep disorder. Everyone knows someone with sleep apnea and a story to tell about it. Shouldn’t we as dental professionals help our patients have healthier teeth and live longer?

Get involved for profit, prestige, and the great feeling of saving lives: Hygienists around the country are screening for OSA and dentists are treating it with oral appliances. They gain the satisfaction of truly helping patients, their family members and possibly themselves.

Take a two-day lecture with Sleep Group Solutions to learn more!