Dr. Darren Ramsey is among the five dentists featured in Sleep Magazine’s March post: How to Integrate Sleep Medicine into General Dentistry Practices. The article highlights the crucial role of dentists as the only healthcare professionals that have the expertise in treating sleep-disordered breathing through oral appliance therapy.
Dr. Ramsey shares his unique approach in diagnosing patients and their journeys in starting their obstructive sleep apnea treatments.
Identifying the sleep-disorder patterns
Dr. Ramsey shared how the dental team at Build-A-Smile determines if a patient needs an oral sleep device through the following steps:
- Every patient undergoes a screening which includes a sleep questionnaire to check for any hint or symptoms of sleep apnea.
- If a patient shows signs of potential sleep-disordered breathing, a dental staff member will perform a physical exam to check for other symptoms.
- When a patient has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, Dr. Ramsey works closely with physicians to provide the best treatment for the patient.
The motivation behind sleep apnea treatments at Build-A-Smile
In several years of serving the Charlotte community, Dr. Ramsey shared that most patients diagnosed with sleep apnea are non-adherent to their CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy. With the life-threatening impact of sleep apnea, Dr. Ramsey aims to help patients adhere to their sleep device therapy by providing alternative treatments to CPAP.
Dr. Ramsey works with physicians in the local healthcare system to increase awareness and save more lives from the life-threatening complications of sleep apnea. He also gains more knowledge about sleep-disordered breathing by continuing studies and learning from other dentists.
Dr. Ramsey is particularly thankful to Oventus Medical for introducing him to dental professionals specializing in dental sleep medicine, where he can ask for advice.
Alternative sleep device to CPAP and financing at Build-A-Smile
Build-A-Smile now consists of 30% sleep treatments and 70% cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic treatments include clear aligners, professional teeth whitening, and flex partial dentures.
In his mission to encourage more patients to keep up with their sleep apnea treatments, Dr. Ramsey provides O2Vent® Optima as an alternative to the traditional CPAP machine for mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea.
O2Vent® Optima is a removable oral sleep device custom-fitted to your mouth to keep your airway open when you sleep. It has a tongue-retaining feature to prevent your tongue from blocking your airway and help you breathe better while sleeping. It is suitable for patients who want a more discreet and compact oral sleep device than a CPAP machine.
Dr. Ramsey also shared with Sleep Review Magazine that a third-party financing company is taking care of the billing and insurance at Build-A-Smile. Patients can also get financing assistance through CareCredit.
For dentists who wish to integrate sleep medicine into their dental practices, Dr. Ramsey recommends them to:
- Conduct patient screenings for potential sleep-disordered breathing.
- Offer alternative sleep devices for patients that are non-adherent to CPAP therapy.
If you want to learn more about our oral sleep devices in Charlotte, NC, you may schedule an appointment with us today. Build-A-Smile also offers a FREE teeth whitening treatment when you order your sleep device with us. Grab this limited offer and call us now.
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