Dental News - Airway Management establishes Dental Institute of Sleep Medicine

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 25 April 2012

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DALLAS, Texas, USA: Airway Management, Texas-based supplier of products for improving the health and quality of life for people who suffer from sleep-disordered breathing, has established the Dental Institute of Sleep Medicine for the purpose of training dental practitioners in the use of its Thornton Adjustable Positioner (TAP) oral appliance for sleep-disordered breathing.

The TAP is a treatment solution for snoring and sleep apnea. The appliance holds the lower jaw in a forward position so that it does not fall open during the night and cause the airway to collapse. It maintains a clear airway to reduce snoring and improve breathing.

According to Airway Management, TAP has a success rate of over 95 percent and treats sleep apnea without surgery, a mask or medication. It allows the patient to fine-tune his/her treatment at home and work with the clinician to achieve the best results. Patients adjust the degree of lower jaw protrusion over as many nights as it takes to achieve the optimal treatment position. The TAP has a single point of central adjustment, which prevents uneven bilateral adjustment that can create an irregular bite and discomfort.

The company offers courses in an interactive workshop format with didactic presentations, hands-on exercises, and ample time for questions and answers. An introductory one-day course (Jump Start Your Practice) and an intermediate one-day course (Clinical Mastery) are held on successive days at multiple Patterson Dental branches around the U.S. (Patterson Dental and Airway Management recently entered into a strategic partnership to distribute the TAP to dental professionals). The three-day Advanced Comprehensive Therapy course is held monthly at Airway Management in Dallas.

"By 2020, 40 percent of the U.S. population will have some form of sleep-disordered breathing. With the failure of continuous positive airway pressure as a long-term therapy for many patients, dentists will play the key role in the management of these disorders, including snoring and sleep apnea," said Dr. W. Keith Thornton, inventor of the TAP oral appliance and one of the course developers. "Demand for treatment of snoring and sleep apnea has increased exponentially; yet the dentist is confronted with what seems to be a great barrier due to the medical nature of the condition. The truth is that treating these patients can be accomplished easily, appropriately and profitably in the dental office."

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