Dentistry is evolving beyond just teeth and gums. Today, forward-thinking dentists are expanding their focus to include airway health and sleep—two areas that profoundly affect not only oral health but overall well-being. The mouth is the gateway to the body, and dentists are uniquely positioned to detect signs of airway and sleep disorders that can lead to chronic fatigue, cardiovascular issues, metabolic disorders, and more. By integrating airway and sleep evaluations into the dental practice, dentists can provide more comprehensive care, improve patient outcomes, and enhance the value of their services.
The Mouth Tells a Bigger Story
Dentists are trained to observe patterns in oral and facial development, jaw alignment, tongue posture, and breathing habits. Many of these are key indicators of underlying airway or sleep issues such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), or mouth breathing.
For instance, worn-down teeth may suggest bruxism, which could be a sign of interrupted sleep. A high, narrow palate might indicate a history of mouth breathing or poor nasal function. Retruded jaws or scalloped tongues may hint at restricted airways. These clues can easily go unnoticed during a routine dental exam—unless the provider is trained to recognize them.
By tuning into these signs, dentists can become a powerful first line of defense against undiagnosed sleep and airway issues.
Untapped Potential for Patient Care
The number of Americans suffering from sleep apnea is staggering. It’s estimated at over 20 million, and many remain undiagnosed. Children with airway issues may struggle with behavior, concentration, and development, often being misdiagnosed with ADHD! If left untreated, these conditions can affect a patient’s quality of life for years.
Dentists who incorporate airway and sleep assessments are not just looking at symptoms, they’re addressing root causes. This opens doors to early intervention, especially in pediatric patients, where guiding facial growth can help prevent long-term health issues. In adults, identifying and co-managing sleep-disordered breathing can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and even depression.
By screening, educating, and referring when necessary, dentists help close a crucial gap in the healthcare system.
Professional Growth and Setting Yourself Apart
From a business standpoint, offering airway and sleep-related services sets a dental practice apart. In an increasingly competitive market, differentiation matters. Patients are looking for comprehensive care, and when a dental practice offers solutions beyond cavities and cleanings, it communicates a deeper level of expertise and care.
Dentists who offer airway evaluations, myofunctional therapy, or oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea can attract new patients and add valuable revenue streams to their practice. Collaboration with physicians, ENT’s, sleep specialists, and orthodontists also builds a wider referral network and elevates the practice’s reputation within the healthcare community.
Collaborative, Whole-Body Dentistry
Airway and sleep dentistry foster a more collaborative and integrative approach to care. Dentists who take this route often find themselves in closer partnership with other healthcare professionals. That means more holistic treatment planning, shared responsibility for outcomes, and ultimately better health for the patient.
When you evaluate patients through the lens of airway health and sleep quality, you begin to see the mouth as more than just a set of teeth. You’re looking at posture, breathing patterns, muscle tone, and facial growth. That leads to questions like: “Is this child snoring?”, “Are they breathing through their mouth all night?”, “Does this adult wake up tired, have difficulty concentrating, or struggle with high blood pressure?”.
These aren’t just medical questions, they’re dental ones, too!
Making the Shift
Dentists interested in incorporating airway and sleep into their practice don’t need to transform overnight. A good first step is to pursue continuing education through organizations like the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) or the Airway Circle. Learning to take better patient histories, incorporating simple screening tools (like the Epworth Sleepiness Scale), and recognizing craniofacial development issues are all foundational.
Next, integrating myofunctional therapy, cone beam imaging, or sleep testing into the practice can be done gradually. Partnering with local sleep specialists and ENT’s can help build your treatment network.
More importantly, communication is key! Educate your patients! Help them understand that snoring isn’t just annoying, it could be a sign of something serious. Show parents how early intervention in children can support long-term health and development. When patients understand the “why” behind airway and sleep dentistry, they become more invested in their own care.
The future of dentistry is about more than just fixing problems, it’s about preventing them, understanding their root causes, and looking at the patient as a whole. Airway and sleep dentistry align perfectly with that mission!
By integrating airway and sleep evaluations into your dental practice, you’re not just adding services, you’re transforming lives. You’re helping people breathe better, sleep better, and live better. And in doing so, you’re evolving into a true health care provider, not just an oral health provider.
That’s the kind of dentistry the world needs more of.
Sherri Merritt
Dental Consultant & Trainer
