Dentistry-based approaches to sleep-disordered breathing, algorithms, and multidisciplinary perspectives

Abstract

Sleep disorders affect more than 20 percent of the U.S. population, but less than 7 percent have been medically diagnosed. Dentists are ideally positioned to identify many patients who fall under the grouping of sleep-disordered breathing. This paper presents perspectives on sleep-related issues from various medical specialties with a goal to broaden the dentist's appreciation of this topic and open avenues of communication. Algorithms are proposed to guide dentists following positive screenings for sleep-disordered breathing.