Your Patient's Face Might Be Causing Their Sleep Problem with Dr Dave Singh - PDP253

Can adults really expand their maxilla? Is treating sleep apnea with a CPAP or mandibular advancement device only MASKING the problem? How does craniofacial anatomy influence airway health, and what should dentists look for? Dr. Dave Singh (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dave-singh-dmd-phd-ddsc-3bb8a718/) joins us to dive into CranioFacial Sleep Medicine. He breaks down how structural issues—like a narrow maxilla, high-arched palate, or limited tongue space—can be root causes of sleep-disordered breathing, rather than just treating symptoms. The episode also touches on controversies in orthodontics and presents evidence supporting interventions once thought impossible in adults. Protrusive Dental Pearl: Obstructive Sleep Apnea is NOT just a “fat old man disease.” If you’re not screening every patient for sleep and airway issues, you’re missing a huge piece of their overall health. Snoring, bruxism, and craniofacial anatomy are all connected, and understanding these links can transform the way you approach patient care. Key Takeaways: -Mandibular advancement appliances are not a universal solution. While effective for some patients, they often fail to address the underlying causes of airway collapse. -Craniofacial sleep medicine focuses on airway etiology, not just symptom control, by identifying why the mandible, tongue, and airway behave as they do during sleep. -The cranial base plays a foundational role in facial growth, jaw position, and airway size, directly influencing sleep apnea risk. -A retruded mandible is frequently due to developmental and epigenetic factors, rather than being an isolated mandibular issue. -Sleep apnea has multiple endotypes—including craniofacial, neurologic, metabolic, and myopathic—requiring individualized treatment planning. -Bruxism is not a reliable airway-opening mechanism and may be a primitive physiological response to hypoxia rather than a protective behavior. -Tooth wear can be an early indicator of sleep-disordered breathing, and should prompt clinicians to screen beyond restorative concerns. -Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS) can occur even when the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is low, particularly in non-obese patients with fatigue, pain, and poor sleep quality. Youtube Highlights: 00:00 Teaser 01:01 Introduction 02:56 Pearl: Debunking Myths About Sleep Apnea 04:27 Interview with Professor Dave Singh: Journey and Insights 13:23 Craniofacial Development 18:53 Epigenetics and Orthodontic Controversies 25:52 Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea 32:49 Understanding Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome 34:17 Midroll 37:38 Understanding Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome 39:45 Diagnosing Sleep Disorders and Treatment Modalities 43:58 Exploring Bruxism and Its Hypotheses 45:19 CPAP and Alternative Treatments for Sleep Apnea 48:12 Managing Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome 55:11 Integrative Approach to Sleep Disorder Management 57:17 Diagnostic Protocols and Imaging Techniques 01:09:56 Outro Don’t Miss Out: Practical, anatomy-based approaches to sleep and airway management for dentists and specialists 📅 Event: Introduction to Craniofacial Sleep Medicine (https://rema-sleep.com/introduction-to-craniofacial-sleep-medicine-london/) 📍 Location: Marriott Hotel, London Heathrow 💷 Course Price: £2,495 🐦 Early Bird Registration: £1,996 🎟️ Discount Code: Use "earlybird20" at checkout 🌐 Learn More: Visit REMA Sleep (https://rema-sleep.com/) for details on courses, devices, and craniofacial sleep medicine resources. 🚀 Try Protrusive AI aka AskJaz (https://protrusive.app/spaces/22228542/page) today: Explore clinical reasoning and educational support directly within the Protrusive Guidance App! If you loved this episode, watch 5 Airway Patients In Your Dental Practice Right Now with Dr Liz Turner – PDP226 (https://youtu.be/Y6EfufPd98E?si=IVODJ_ioxxsVQEFz) #PDPMainEpisodes #OcclusionTMDandSplints #BreadandButterDentistry ----------------------------------- Apply for FREE access to the Nicest and Geekiest Dental Community in the World 🌍 https://protrusive.app - it’s absolutely Free We also have paid plans so you can Claim Verifiable CPD/CE + EXCLUSIVE content: https://protrusive.app 🔊 Subscribe on Apple: https://protrusive.co.uk/apple 🔊 Subscribe on Spotify: https://protrusive.co.uk/spotify 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protrusivedental/ Online Courses: 😬 Learn Occlusion Online: https://occlusion.online/ 📚 Learn TMD and Occlusal Appliances: https://www.splintcourse.com 🦷 Gain Confidence with Resin Bonded Bridges: https://rbbmasterclass.com 🎒 Learn Vertipreps, Rubber Dam and More: https://protrusive.co.uk/ultimate Life by KV /kvmusicprod Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/kv/life Music promoted by Audio Library Life – KV (No Copyright Music)