According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes,  Sleep Apnea remains a growing health concern with an estimated 18 million  Americans suffering.  Sleep Group Solutions offers dental continuing education  courses, with an emphasis in Dental Sleep Medicine.  With a growing demand for  treatment, SGS is now offering an Advanced course to the dental community,  taught by Dr.  Daniel Tache, Diplomat of the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, the current  president of the Wisconsin Sleep Society and an instructor for Sleep Group  Solutions.

Now more than ever, dentists are seeking higher education to learn new skills  and protocols on proper treatment methods for snoring and sleep apnea.  Sleep  Group Solutions is currently the leader in dental continuing education for  Dental Sleep Medicine, offering over 60 courses in 2012.

Dentists such as Dr. Larry  Grillo in Aventura, Fl attended a course from SGS and currently is one of  the few dentists in the area screening and treating sleep apnea.  “Treating  obstructive sleep apnea impacts the systemic health of our patients more  significantly than almost any other service we provide. Read the rest of this entry

If you are suffering from the deadly sleep disorder called the obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) then you’re not breathing properly while you sleep because your airflow is blocked repeatedly throughout the night.

Almost one in four men and one in ten women suffer from sleep apnea. There are three different types of sleep apnea but obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common. And it goes hand-in-hand with type 2 diabetes.

Among all of the sleep disorders, OSA has the strongest association with type 2 diabetes. That’s even taking into account other risk factors, such as weight, sex and age.

The main risk factor for OSA is obesity. Excess weight deposits extra fat around the thorax, reducing chest compliance and functional capacity, while increasing oxygen demand. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ [Press Release ]/Los Angeles, California /Aviisha Medical Institute, LLC, the  national leader in home sleep care, is inviting the public to attend its  obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) webinars. The webinars are broadcasted live on the  first Monday of every month at 1pm PST. They webinars are hosted by Dr. Avi  Ishaaya and cover a broad range of topics related to sleep apnea. Dr. Avi is a  board-certified pulmonologist who specializes in treating sleep disorders. He is  the one of nation’s foremost experts on sleep issues and has been featured in  Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal.

The webinars were originally designed for physicians in Aviisha’s MD Home  Sleep Program (www.aviisha.com/mdhsp),  but interest and demand have changed that. “The webinars are a great way for all  people to learn about sleep apnea,” said Dr. Avi. “Sleep apnea carries serious  consequences for sufferers as well as their partners. Its prevalence is rising  dramatically yet only 10-20% of sufferers are diagnosed. We hope that opening  these webinars to the public can help raise awareness.” Read the rest of this entry

Sleep Group Solutions (SGS) a leader in dental continuing education takes  pride in offering dentists top level courses on dental sleep medicine.  With an increase in sleep apnea research and  studies, Sleep Group Solutions plans to double courses offered to dentists  interested in screening and treating sleep apnea in 2012.

Recent  studies from the Journal of the American Medical Association prove sleep apnea  linking to dementia in women.  Breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea are  getting more attention and research in the medical field, and now the dental  field has perked an interest.  Dentists are filling class rooms across the  US to gain dental  continuing education on how to screen and treat sleep apnea in house,  through oral appliance therapy.   Sleep Group Solutions continues to  provide dentists with the education needed to treat OSA.  ” In 2011 we  offered the dental community 50 courses to choose from.  With such an  increased demand from the dental community, we are planning to offer around 70  for 2012,”  John Nadeau, VP Sleep Group Solutions. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep Group Solutions (SGS), a leader in dental sleep medicine continuing education and sleep apnea (OSA) screening technology is launching a sleep study club, like no other.  Sleep Group Solutions has revolutionized the sleep industry by incorporating top level education, client support, innovating technologies, and now, a common ground to set the bar high in dental offices across the globe.

Dr. Michael Hnat, a dentist in Pittsburgh has been screening and treating his patients for sleep apnea for the past 4 years.  As a dentist, Dr. Hnat feels the airway is his responsibility, and each patient gets an evaluation, whether they know it or not.  “We screen each patient with forms, and a visual exam.  If the neck, tongue, or even BMI is larger than average, it’s a red flag.”  says Dr. Hnat.  After obtaining many successful cases, Dr. Hnat is a leader in his community in the fight against OSA.  When approached by Sleep Group Solutions to lead a study club in his state, Dr. Hnat was  excited to even the playing field. Read the rest of this entry

SomnoMed, Inc., the global leader in oral sleep appliance technology, will host a two-day educational course Aug. 5-6 in Chicago to help dentists successfully implement Dental Sleep Medicine within their practices.  The SomnoMed Academy course will introduce dentists to screening and treating patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) through extensive educational and hands-on sessions designed to maximize the latest dental sleep medicine technologies and develop streamlined protocols.

Sleep issues are not new – in fact, the 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll found that 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39 percent  get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and 37 percent are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities.

Sleep apnea, considered a sleeping disorder, affects tens of millions of Americans and is associated with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack, stroke, memory/performance problems, depression and higher accident rates. SomnoMed’s SomnoDent® is a custom-made oral device that positions the lower jaw slightly forward of its usual position. This has the effect of keeping the airway open, preventing snoring and treating the serious chronic condition of OSA.

“SomnoDent is a unique solution for treating OSA that has unprecedented compliance rates among patients,” said Anthony White, vice president of marketing and SomnoMed Academy.  “We look forward to helping dentists introduce this solution in their practices to help patients sleep better, which in turn creates an overall healthier lifestyle.”

Registration for SomnoMed Academy is limited, and participants who reserve their seat before July 15 will receive a free demonstration model.  For more information about SomnoMed Academy, visit http://www.somnomed.com.

Sleep Group Solutions, North Miami Beach, Fla, is offering an introduction to dental sleep medicine course in August at several locations in the United States. The course is designed to teach orthodontists and their staff how to begin implementing new screening, diagnosis, and treatment protocols for patients suffering from sleep apnea.

The course features 2 full days of instruction and hands-on experience. Attendees will have the opportunity to take diagnostic records, work with permanent and temporary oral appliances, and undergo a full 8-channel Embletta X100 portable sleep study and view the results the next day.

The course is available August 19 to 20 in Boston and August 26 to 27 in Burbank, Calif.

May is the month known as “better sleep month”.  Undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea is causing needless suffering, according to Brian Marks, who is director of cardiopulmonary services and the Hillside Hospital Sleep Medicine Center.  The Sleep Medicine Center has two sleep labs available for sleep studies and each clones a regular bedroom atmosphere.   One of the goals of the staff is to educate the community about sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.

“Serious sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, impact significant numbers of people,” he said.  “And, even more importantly, many people are unaware of the symptoms, risk factors for, or serious complications that can result from untreated sleep disorders.”

According to Marks, many patients are misdiagnosed with depression who are actually suffering from the long-term effects of untreated sleep apnea.  As many as twenty-five percent of people who have high blood pressure have sleep apnea and patients with untreated sleep apnea are at increased risk for initial and recurrent heart attacks.

“Physicians have a high clinical suspicion about sleep apnea if they are treating a patient who is overweight, has high blood pressure, is fatigued, and is experiencing a decreasing ability to concentrate.  Ordering a sleep evaluation should be considered.  And, most certainly, anyone with an underlying history of heart disease should be evaluated for sleep apnea as it significantly increases the risk of a recurrent heart attack.”

“Sleep apnea is a very treatable disease, and patients see such tremendous benefits in their quality of life.  The clinical benefits include reduction of the risk of heart attack and relief in symptoms.”

For more information, or a brochure regarding the Hillside Hospital Sleep Medicine Center, call Brian Marks at 424-4580.

Dr. Anuj Chandra, Director of the Advanced Center for Sleep Disorders, is now offering an introductory course for those who want to become certified as sleep technicians.

“There is a shortage of well trained sleep technicians in the area. If we can have more good sleep techs, that makes it easier for people with sleep disorders to go though diagnostic sleep testing and begin getting the treatment they need to get better.” — Anuj Chandra, M.D., D.ABSM Beginning May 17, the Advanced Academy of Sleep Medicine will present an 80-hour A-STEP training course, which is the first step to becoming certified to perform sleep diagnostic tests.

Tuition is $1,000. The course will be held at the Advanced Center for Sleep Disorders, located at 6073 East Brainerd Road in Chattanooga. For more information, call 423-648-8008 or send an email to advancedacademysleep@gmail.com. Read the rest of this entry

A free information and orientation session for those interested in becoming a polysomnographic technologist, or sleep technician, will be held at Linn-Benton Community College from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, in the Calapooia Center, room CC-213, 6500 Pacific Blvd. S.W., Albany.

Polysomnographic technologists assist sleep physicians to help patients with sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.Technologists ready the patient for testing, track the patient’s sleep patterns, and write and interpret the results for the physician.

LBCC’s Polysomnographic Technologist program combines online and in-class instruction with a clinical practicum.Skill areas covered include the physiology of sleep with an emphasis on sleep disorders and their treatment.The program also covers how to administer, interpret and score a variety of sleep tests.Attendance at the orientation session is mandatory before applying for the program.

Classes start June 20 and run through March 17, 2012. Applications for the program are being accepted.Cost is $7,500.

Check the LBCC website for prerequisites at www.linnbenton.edu/go/forms.For more information, contact LBCC Health Occupations and Workforce Education at 541-917-4923.

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ KEY BISCAYNE, FL/- The Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education is proud to announce its introductory course in Dental Sleep Medicine. With the availability of the Pankey condominiums for lodging, participants will have the opportunity to wear a home sleep monitor, as well as adjust and wear their own oral appliance while at the course. The first session will be held July 10-14, 2011.

The topics to be explored include:

• An overview of normal human sleep, Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) and its systemic consequences
• The medical model for diagnosis and treatment of SDB, including details of medical diagnostic (polysomnography) and treatment (CPAP) modalities
• Dental screening for SDB, including questionnaires and dental, head and neck examination
• A literature-based view of the design, effectiveness, and morbidities of oral appliance therapy Read the rest of this entry

Essential Topics in Dental Sleep Medicine, an all-new Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and Technology course designed specifically for dentists, will debut on January 14-15, 2011. The course will be held at the school’s facility in Atlanta.

After developing sleep medicine training for physicians, technicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants for more than 18 years, the Atlanta School is now expanding into the world of dental sleep medicine. Led by course directors Russell Rosenberg, PhD, Edward Spiegel, DDS, and Dan Brown, JD, Essential Topics in Dental Sleep Medicine will take a more advanced approach to sleep medicine as it applies to the dental field. Read the rest of this entry

The SMILE Foundation, an Appliance Therapy Group company, has announced the inception–in conjunction with the Center for CPAP Intolerance–of a new monthly course offering to train physicians and dentists in the adoption and implementation of a consistently successful, effective new treatment protocol for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Full Breath Solution is a single-arch oral appliance for reducing nightly air blockage. Fully patented and FDA-approved, it inhibits the movement of the tongue–gently keeping the mouth open and the air passage free– without mandibular advancement.

Used in conjunction with an accredited sleep study (or FDA-approved home sleep studies), the Full Breath Solution has enjoyed success since its introduction to the dental community, posting a 79% drop in the Apnea Hypopnea Index and a 95% patient-tested success-rate.
Read the rest of this entry

Next time you are traveling on an air flight and are annoyed by the guy sleeping next to you who is snoring, realize that there could be much more behind that than just an irritating sound, this person could have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Apnea is a Greek word that means ‘not breathing’.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition caused by the tongue falling back and blocking the airway for anywhere between 10 and 90 seconds while someone is sleeping. This creates breathing pauses where the person is not getting oxygen. In OSA, these episodes occur from 15 to as many as 100 times each hour. This deprives one of the sleep and oxygen required to function normally and presents a dangerous detriment to a person’s long-term health. Read the rest of this entry