Attracting more than 1,200 dentists and exhibitors from around the world to Denver in early June, the 25th American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) Anniversary Meeting was a celebration of the longevity of the country’s top organization for the growing practice of dental sleep medicine. The successful three-day event included the induction of a new president and recognition of important research that is advancing oral appliance therapy as an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
New AADSM President, President-elect
Harold A. Smith, DDS, of Indianapolis, was inducted as president of the AADSM board of directors and began his two-year term at the Anniversary Meeting.
“As a former AADSM president with more than two decades of experience in dental sleep medicine, Dr. Smith is uniquely suited to again take the reins at this exciting time in dental sleep medicine,” said AADSM Past President Kathleen Bennett, DDS. “Dr. Smith has proven that he’s a relationship builder, dedicated to helping dentists, physicians and patients work together to effectively treat sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy.”
Dr. Smith has provided oral appliance therapy since 1993, and he is currently the clinical director of Dental Sleep Medicine of Indiana. He also serves as the dental consultant to five sleep disorders centers in major Indianapolis hospitals. Dr. Smith is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM), and he served as the AADSM president from 2002-2004. He is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Dentistry.
“The success of oral appliance therapy is reliant upon the support of the medical team and its dedication to best practices that have been honed by years of research,” said Dr. Smith. “I am honored to serve a second presidential term for AADSM, and I’ll continue to promote the importance of evidence-based standards of practice and dentist-physician collaboration in the treatment of sleep apnea.”
With Dr. Smith assuming the role as president, Nancy Addy, DDS, became the new AADSM president-elect, and will serve as president from 2018-2020. Dr. Addy also is an ABDSM Diplomate. Her practice, Snoring and Sleep Apnea Dental Treatment Center of Kansas City, has been exclusively a dental sleep medicine facility since 2007.
AADSM Research Award Winners
The AADSM 25th Anniversary Meeting honored research that is improving the clinical understanding of obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, as well as elevating oral appliance therapy as a proven, effective treatment option.
“Twenty-five years ago there was minimal research and literature about the efficacy of oral appliance therapy,” said Dr. Smith. “Today, dental sleep medicine is rooted in evidence-based practices, and the AADSM continues to support research to help address clinical challenges and enhance the field.”
AADSM Clinical Research Award Winners
Clinical Research Excellence Award Winner: John Remmers, MD
“A Mandibular Positioning Home Sleep Test Prospectively Predicts Outcome of Oral Appliance Therapy for OSA Using Retrospectively Derived Decision Criteria”
Patient-Responsive Test May Predict Success with Oral Appliance Therapy
Two clinical trials were conducted using an oral appliance and a mandibular positioning home sleep test (mpHST), which uses a computer to adjust the jaw in response to observed respiratory events. The first trial used decision algorithms derived from a pilot study, while the second trial used new algorithms based on the computer generated analysis from the first trial. Compared to the first clinical trial, each index of predictive accuracy, except the predicted efficacious mandibular position (PEMP), improved in the second trial, and the overall error rate significantly decreased. The results suggest that mpHST can provide a more accurate predication of whether oral appliance therapy will successfully treat an OSA patient.
Clinical Research Runner-up Award Winners
Yoshikazu Takaesu for “Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS) as a Comparable Treatement to Nasal CPAP (nCPAP) in Patients with Positional OSA”
Nikola Vranjes for “A New Oral Appliance Titration Protocol Using the Micro2 Sleep Device and Mandibular Positioning Home Sleep Test”
AADSM Student Award Winners
AADSM Student Excellence Award Winner: Yoshitaka Suzuki
“No Increase in Sleep Bruxism or Sustained Orofacial Muscle Activity During Sleep in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: A Controlled Study”
Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Not a Cause of Sleep Bruxism
While sleep bruxism (SB) is often reported after mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), it is unknown if mTBI leads to SB. Nineteen mTBI patients at one month post-trauma were compared to a control group of 16 subjects without SB. The sleep tests analyzed rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA), a biomarker of SB, and the muscle tone of the chin, masseter (key mandible muscle) and tibialis anterior (lower leg). None of the mTBI patients showed evidence of SB or increased orofacial muscle tone, demonstrating that mTBI does not lead to SB.
‧ AADSM Student Runner-up Award Winners
Nitya G. Reddy for “The Prevalence of Pediatric Dentists Who Screen for OSA”
Annelies Verbruggen for “Prevalence of Subjective and Objective Residual Excessive Sleepiness During Successful Mandibular Advancement Device Therapy for OSA”
For the full research abstracts or interviews, please contact Lindsey Lucenta at llucenta@lcwa.com.
