Could It Be Airway?

Episode #312 with Dr. Tracey Nguyễn

Airway isn't just appliance therapy — it’s about reducing the risk of sleep-related disorders for overall health. And today’s guest, who didn’t like or start out with sleep dentistry, is here to explain why all dentists should be thinking about airway in their practice. Kirk Behrendt and Dr. Tracey Nguyễn talk about focusing beyond just patients’ teeth, and how airway is connected to everything. To learn how to get started, listen to Episode 312 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Disorders we see in children are related to airway issues.

Dentists are as important as sleep physicians in managing sleep-related disorders.  

Other physicians need to know that dentists can help treat patients.

Patients trust dentists. They spend more time with dentists than primary care physicians.

Start with the medical history. Get to know patients before looking in their mouth.

Reach out to different specialists for support.

Airway is connected to everything!

Quotes:

“What's going on right now with all these diseases, especially with children, all the neurocognitive issues, the ADHD, I kind of realized that, ‘Wow. Could this all be airway issues?’ And the best person to manage the face is a dentist. And so, I didn't understand why we were not equally as important as a sleep physician. The first person that a child should get a referral to is the dentist.” (07:11—07:39)

“I think the profession that has the most influence in change is dentistry. I mean, medicine is really all about management. I had a five-year-old on a CPAP, and I talked to the physician. I was like, ‘Okay. What's the endgame of this? What do I need to do to get this child off of CPAP?’ And the sleep physician said, ‘What do you mean?’ I was like, ‘What do you mean, you don't understand what I mean?’ I was like, ‘What is the endgame?’ And for them, they didn't even understand that, because medicine is about management.” (08:08—08:47)

“You see [issues] in all ages. And the question you have to ask is, ‘Could it be airway, and could my dentistry impact the airway positively or negatively?’ So, I think that's a very important conversation to have. Patients trust the dentist. They spend more time at the dentist than they do at their primary care. And we connect the dots.” (10:54—11:20)

“The way dentistry is working is, we’re trying to get beyond just looking at pictures of teeth and be like, ‘Well, let's start with the medical history. What's going on? Who is this patient?’ Your first class in treatment planning should be understanding the medical history. We kind of skip that. As physicians, we forget the medical history and we go straight to taking pictures of teeth. So, I'd like us to slow down. I think that when you slow down, you get to know the patient, then you develop that trust.” (12:01—12:35)

“With airway dentistry, it’s no different than restorative dentistry. You're going to need your orthodontists. You're going to need your oral surgeons. You're going to need your specialists. So, it’s just a different way of managing it. And you're managing it from a health’s perspective now.” (14:27—14:43)

“With kids, all the neurocognitive [consequences appear] before you see the malocclusion. So, when they come into your office for that first dental cleaning, that’s so important. You’ve got to recognize the sleep problems before you send them to the orthodontist. And the adult world is obviously a little bit different. But it always goes back to screening and understanding the signs and symptoms.” (15:06—15:35)

“Before, I was just focused on the esthetics. But now, when you come from a health perspective, a perspective where you actually care about the patients’ well-being and things that you can do for them, your case...