Practice Highlight

Creative thinking and a collaborative mindset can have a transformative effect in the world of dental sleep medicine. The story shows how a dentist visionary has tenaciously worked to establish a training and support model for other dentists seeking dental sleep medicine expertise.

 

Ashley Spooner, DDS, D.ABDSM, is a passionate advocate for her patients regarding screening and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). She became involved with dental sleep medicine (DSM) in 2015 and achieved diplomate status in 2020 from the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM). 

 

Dr. Spooner has partnered with dental support organization Pacific Dental Services® (PDS) for business support services since 2013. PDS is a prominent proponent of dental-medical integration, seeking to improve health outcomes through closer collaboration between the dental and medical fields. 

 

Leveraging the support and vision of the PDS platform, Dr. Spooner was motivated to cultivate expertise in DSM while fostering a clinical culture in her practice that prioritizes proactive screening and treatment of chronic inflammation and OSA. The PDS platform has provided her with opportunities to approach patient care with an interdisciplinary mindset, enabling greater collaboration with the patient’s broader healthcare team. Throughout the years, significant changes have occurred in the field of DSM, from new appliances to a heightened understanding of OSA’s significance. While these changes have increased awareness within dental practices concerning the necessity of screening and treatment, the under-treatment of OSA persists, significantly impacting patients’ quality of life, health, and mortality.

 

 

Driven by the increasing potential for dentists and their teams to address OSA, Dr. Spooner founded Dynamic Dental Sleep, LLC (DDS) as an initiative separate from her affiliation with PDS. DDS provides comprehensive educational elements, complemented by ongoing mentorship beyond the course duration. Through DDS, Dr. Spooner provides dentists high-quality, affordable training encompassing both the clinical and business aspects of DSM. The DDS PACE-accredited program brings together education, team training, billing, and industry relationships so dentists can focus on their patients and be confident in the streamlined workflows that drive efficiencies and result in effective patient care, provider satisfaction, and increased revenue.

 

Establishing workflows that provide a positive experience for the patient and the clinician can be challenging. “Many times, dentists will take courses and get excited about implementing something new into their practices, but the day-to-day of a busy practice engulfs them, and that new ‘thing’ gets put on the shelf for when the time is right,” reflected Dr. Spooner. “My question is: Is the time ever just perfect for something new? There will always be a reason to wait or to not do it at all. Understanding that this may be the case for many, it became my mission to establish workflows for the general dentist who would like to add more purpose to what they do while not distracting from their core business.”

 

Dentists who train with DDS gain a deep understanding of the importance of sleep, learning to provide the dental aspects of OSA screening and treatment with oral appliances following AADSM guidelines. They receive comprehensive documentation templates and a step-by-step guide, enabling the establishment of a consistent, reliable, and scalable framework to seamlessly integrate DSM into any dental practice. 

 

After completing the DDS course, dentists have the option to work with DDS vendors or their own network of healthcare providers. The goal is to provide dentists with the know-how to develop a truly turn-key workflow that can be seamlessly implemented into practice.

 

 

In 2021, Dr. Spooner was introduced to Panthera Dental. Panthera is renowned for its expertise in designing and manufacturing dental sleep appliances, manufacturing the D-SAD Panthera Classic and Panthera X3 oral appliances for treating OSA. Leveraging Industry 4.0 principles, their expertise in robotics, connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced 3D printing techniques enable the manufacturing of state-of-the-art oral appliances. This process includes proprietary purpose-built sleep appliance CAD/CAM software. Panthera uses a versatile medical-grade nylon material that readily conforms to the distinct anatomical requirements of each individual, accommodating a wide range of cases from basic to the most complex. (See side bar on previous pages.)

 

As Dr. Spooner began delivering more Panthera devices to her patients, a relationship was born. She states that “while continuous positive airway pressure devices, or CPAP, continue to be prescribed, patients are looking for other options. Shared decision-making regarding treatment has demonstrated that patients often opt for an oral appliance versus a CPAP. I’ve found Panthera’s devices to be durable and lightweight, which leads to a smoother and more comfortable fit for the patient.” 

 

“There are many steps in a DSM workflow, but when executed well, it is efficient,” continued Dr. Spooner. “Panthera’s processes for streamlining the ordering and delivery process allows patients to receive their oral appliance within two weeks. In combination with DDS screening workflows, a patient can be screened and treated within four to six weeks.”

 

Dr. Spooner commends Panthera’s dedicated support in case design and swift issue resolution, emphasizing their comprehensive understanding of sleep medicine. Additionally, she praises Panthera’s diverse team and their commitment to education, emphasizing their valuable role in DDS’ continuing education programs, further ensuring successful DSM implementation in dental practices.

 

“While there are many choices for oral appliances, Panthera is my preferred device when appropriate for the patient,” says Dr. Spooner. “Their additional support, customized care, and educational acumen truly sets them apart.”

 

The ongoing support of Panthera Dental for Dr. Spooner and DDS’ dental sleep program, aimed at educating and training dentists interested in incorporating DSM, presents an exceptional opportunity. This initiative holds the promise of extending diagnostic and treatment services to millions more individuals affected by OSA. In the end, Dr. Spooner’s aspiration is for this collaboration to significantly enhance patients’ overall health and well-being.