Why Dentists Abandon Dental Sleep Medicine
Jason Tierney, COO of DS3
Over the past decade, I’ve had the good fortune to work with thousands of dentists with a desire to save lives with oral appliance therapy. Too often, those passionate intentions are extinguished prematurely. Why? Why do dentists abandon this life saving, practice growing treatment modality? Let me ask you.
Is it a lack of desire?
No, I don’t think so. All the dentists I know have a primary emphasis on providing needed treatment to their patients with a secondary focus of adding more production. You want to help patients. You care about them. You also like the additional revenue. You just care more about other things like putting out fires in the practice.
Is it a lack of time?
Dental practices are a fast-paced, dynamic environment. You know this. Who has time to identify worn dentition, scalloped tongues, or look at health history? Who has time to discuss Invisalign, whitening, or periodontal disease? Who has time to have the patient complete a health history? Oh, you ALREADY identify signs and symptoms of disease, document it in a chart, and discuss treatment plans with the patient? You just haven’t gotten your team educated and clearly defined the goals and the steps to get there.
Is it an inability to work with other health care practitioners?
Dentists can’t diagnose sleep apnea so you must consort with physicians. Is that outside your comfort zone? You refer to other specialists such as periodontists and orthodontists. How is this any different? It isn’t, but you must decide to do it.
Is it possible that you don’t have enough patients?
Nope, myth debunked. 1 in 5 adults suffer from OSA in the United States. You just haven’t implemented and mandated a screening protocol.
Is it because of the difficulties getting paid by medical insurance?
There are many reputable, successful companies that manage this process for you. I know hundreds of dentists that can attest to how profitable dental sleep medicine can be. You just have to find a company and employ their services. So back to the original question. Why do dentists abandon dental sleep medicine prematurely, resulting in a disservice to their patients and their practices? The answer is you.
