Dentists can be key providers in sleep and airway disorder care, experts conclude at ADA summit
CHICAGO: Leading dental and medical experts meeting at the American Dental Association’s Sleep and Airway-Focused Dentistry Summit have agreed that dentists can play a far more central role in the diagnosis, management, and long-term care of patients with sleep and airway disorders, particularly sleep apnea.
The summit brought together more than 40 professionals, including dentists, sleep medicine physicians, neurologists, researchers, consultants, and industry leaders, to explore how dentistry can help close major gaps in sleep disorder care.
A growing health crisis with limited diagnosis
Interrupted breathing during sleep affects an estimated 30 million people in the United States, yet only around 6 million have been formally diagnosed with sleep apnea, according to figures cited at the summit. Experts warned that this diagnostic gap continues to place millions at risk for cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, metabolic disorders, and reduced quality of life.
Participants agreed that addressing this scale of unmet need requires a team-based, patient-centered approach, with dentists working more closely alongside physicians rather than in parallel systems.
Dentistry’s role in airway and sleep health
Throughout panel discussions and breakout sessions, speakers emphasized that dentists are uniquely positioned to identify airway issues, screen for sleep-related breathing disorders, and deliver oral appliance therapy, a well-established alternative treatment for many sleep apnea patients.
Addressing the summit, American Dental Association President Richard Rosato, D.M.D., highlighted the profession’s responsibility in this evolving space, noting that airway management is “exactly the kind of area that invites the best of our abilities.”
However, experts acknowledged that many patients remain unaware that dentists can be involved in sleep disorder treatment, often believing their only options are CPAP therapy or surgery.
Education, awareness remain foundational gaps
Education emerged as a recurring theme throughout the summit—both for healthcare providers and the public. Attendees stressed the need to increase awareness among physicians about dental sleep medicine and among patients about oral appliance therapy as a viable, evidence-based treatment option.
ADA member dentist Payam Attai, D.M.D., one of the organizers of the summit, emphasized that improving sleep health aligns closely with dentistry’s broader role in systemic health. Speakers noted that better education could significantly improve early intervention, treatment adherence, and long-term outcomes.
The challenge of medical–dental collaboration
Despite shared goals, many participants described persistent structural barriers between medicine and dentistry. Fragmented referral systems, incompatible electronic health records, and separate insurance frameworks often complicate coordinated care and frustrate patients navigating both systems.
Former president of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, David Schwartz, D.D.S., underscored the urgency of collaboration, warning that meaningful progress will remain limited unless professionals work together across disciplines.
Insurance and access: a critical bottleneck
Insurance challenges dominated payer-focused discussions at the summit. Panelists cited inconsistent coverage, complex credentialing requirements, and limited reimbursement for combination therapies as major obstacles to broader adoption of dental sleep treatments.
Experts noted that these barriers disproportionately affect lower-income patients, women, and underserved populations, further widening health disparities in sleep disorder diagnosis and care.
Looking ahead: building a coordinated future
In closing sessions, attendees formed working groups to outline next steps for advancing sleep and airway-focused dentistry. Key priorities included:
• Clarifying dentistry’s role in airway health
• Improving communication between dentists and physicians
• Expanding interoperability between medical and dental software systems
• Promoting joint advocacy for standardized coverage models
• Strengthening education and training pathways in dental sleep medicine
Experts agreed that advancing this field will require expanded training, stronger partnerships with medicine, and policy advocacy that reflects dentistry’s commitment to comprehensive patient care.
Why this matters for dentistry globally
As awareness of sleep-related disorders grows worldwide, the summit’s conclusions reinforce a broader shift in dentistry—one that positions oral healthcare professionals as integral contributors to systemic health.
For dentists, educators, and policymakers alike, the message was clear: addressing sleep and airway disorders is no longer optional—it is a necessary evolution of modern dental practice.
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