November 17, 2017

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Looking beyond the teeth and saving lives!



Jamison Spencer

Break Down

Dentists are uniquely positioned among healthcare providers to easily evaluate for signs of obstructive sleep apnea. Oral appliance therapy performed by a qualified dentist can also be an effective treatment, literally saving lives. In this lecture Dr. Spencer will review the basics of normal sleep, snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in adults and children. You will most likely be thinking that YOU and everyone you know must have sleep apnea before he is through! Don't worry though, he will also cover diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, including the dentist's role and appliance selection. If you or someone close to you may have sleep apnea (like your patients) you owe it to yourself and them to take this course and potentially change, or literally save, their lives.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand normal sleep and how to improve sleep
  • Understand how obstructive sleep apnea affects adults and children
  • Become familiar with the dental aspects of screening for OSA
  • Recognize how to choose the best oral appliance for your specific patient.
  • Understand how to avoid problems and minimize side effects of oral appliance therapy
  • Go through all the steps from initial screening to final follow up

About the Speaker

Dr. Jamison Spencer is the director of the Center for Sleep Apnea and TMJ in Boise, Idaho, and the director of Dental Sleep Medicine for Lane and Associates Family Dentistry in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Dr. Spencer is the Past-President of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain (AACP), a Diplomate of the American Board of Craniofacial Pain, a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, a Diplomate of the American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine and has a Masters in Craniofacial Pain from Tufts University. He taught head and neck anatomy at Boise State University and is adjunct faculty at the Tufts Craniofacial Pain Center in both the craniofacial pain residency and dental sleep medicine programs. Dr. Spencer lectures locally, nationally and internationally on TMD, dental sleep medicine and head and neck anatomy and is a founding faculty member of the AACP's Institute and the AACP/Tufts Dental Sleep Medicine program.

Dr. Spencer lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife of 24 years Jennifer and their 6 children.