Dental Sleep Medicine Insider July 2017 | Page 12

THE 3 T’s OF PATRICK TESSIER to patients accepting oral appli- ance therapy is confidence that it will work. With a price tag that can be over $3,000, it’s a big leap of faith. Even with insur- ance reimbursement, between co-pays and deductibles, the out of pocket can be quite high. For the Clinician: the literature is quite clear the OAT is very ef- fective, but what about for your patient? The lowest cost and most effec- tive method to gain confidence for both the patient and the doc- tor is with a trial appliance. Even better, a trial appliance that very much replicates the permanent appliance. Like the myTAP as a predictor for the dreamTAP. Dentists are resourceful and creative. They are driven to continuously improve tools and techniques to provide the best care for their patients. Take the myTAP for example. Following introduction in 2013, Clinicians around the world have found nu- merous ways to utilize the device for their practices. For instance, did you know that you can si- multaneously treat patients or- thodontically with clear aligners and sleep disordered breathing (SDB)? Here are the most pop- ular uses, so far, for the myTAP. Temporary There are several reasons a pa- tient may need to use a tempo- rary oral appliance. The most common is while waiting for the permanent device to be man- ufactured. Many dentists use the myTAP to avoid any risk for non-treatment, while the custom appliance is being built. Dog ate the appliance? Need an emergency back-up? How about a CPAP alternative for travel or camping? Most Den- tists don’t want to leave their patients without this life saving treatment. Titration One of the difficult aspects of treating SDB with oral appliances is determining the most effective protrusion position. The most reliable method comes from the Sleep Labs – Titrate and mea- sure while the patient is sleeping. Summary The myTAP is by far and away the simplest, lowest cost, small- est, chairside delivery appliance on the market. Backed by 20 years of peer reviewed TAP studies. It works. The biggest question is how will you use the myTAP in your practice? Underneath the myTAP is a scale with 1mm increments. Read the scale at the end of the adjust- ment nut. Some Clinicians combine with Home Sleep Testing devices (HST) for a measured titration done at home. Others rely on empirical data from the sleeping partner. Did the symptoms de- crease? Trial Probably the biggest obstacle PATRICK TESSIER BSME, MBA Patrick is a Mechanical Engi- neer with an MBA. He serves as the Director of Dental Business Development for Airway Management. He can be reached at [email protected]