Guidelines

 

Practice Guidelines for Dental Sleep Medicine

The AADSM has developed statements and guidelines to help dentists treat patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea using oral appliance therapy.

Definition of an Effective Oral Appliance

In response to the demands of an emerging profession to set standards of care, the AADSM Board of Directors brought together leaders in the profession to develop the definition of an effective oral appliance for the treatment of sleep disordered breathing based on current research and clinical experience. The definition and report were published in 2014 in the Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine.

The definition was updated in 2019 to reflect latest evidence and clinical practice. A task force was convened to review the original 2014 report as well as current, relevant research on oral appliance therapy. Updates to the definition include clarifications on: the need for oral appliances (OAs) to be made of biocompatible material, inclusion of prefabricated components (if the device is not primarily prefabricated), use of mechanical hinges or metallic materials, devices that prevent dislodging and finally, the lifetime of the appliance. 
 
  

Dental Sleep Medicine Standards for Screening, Treating and Managing Adults with Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

This document was published in the July issue of the Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine and provides guidance for patient examination, patient screening, education and treatment management.

View Standards

Management of Side Effects of Oral Appliance Therapy for Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Published in 2017, this document provides a set of consensus recommendations to guide dentists in the management of side effects as a consequence of OAT. 

View Side Effect Recommendations

Policy Statement on a Dentist's Role in Treating Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

The AADSM firmly believes that by screening and providing oral appliance therapy, dentists, with appropriate training and in collaboration with physicians, help reduce the number of undiagnosed and untreated patients with sleep-disordered breathing, which includes snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.


View Policy Statement

Clinical Practice Guideline for Oral Appliance Therapy

Published in 2015, this guideline was commissioned by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM). A joint task force conducted a systematic review of the literature and developed evidence-based recommendations. This evidence was counterbalanced by an assessment of the relative benefit of the treatment versus the potential harms. The board of directors of both the AASM and AADSM approved the final guideline.

The AASM and AADSM expect this guideline to have a positive impact on professional behavior, patient outcomes, and, possibly, health care costs. This guideline reflects the state of knowledge at the time of publication and will require updates if new evidence warrants significant changes to the current recommendations.
 
Ramar K, Dort LC, Katz SG, Lettieri CJ, Harrod CG, Thomas SM, Chervin RD. Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring with oral appliance therapy: an update for 2015. Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine 2015;2(3):71– 125.
  

Treatment Protocol for Oral Appliance Therapy

The AADSM oral appliance therapy treatment protocol provides guidance to dentists for the assessment, treatment and management of patients who have sleep-disordered breathing. 
 

Policy Statement on the Diagnosis and Treatment of OSA

The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) and American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) developed the “Joint Policy Statement on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea” in response to inquiries that both organizations have received from members seeking clarification regarding the scope of practice of the physician and dentist in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with OSA.
 

View Joint Policy Statement on Diagnosis and Treatment of OSA

Position Paper on Portable Monitoring

The AADSM Board of Directors developed this position statement in response to frequent questions about whether a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine is qualified to diagnose sleep-related breathing disorders including obstructive sleep apnea. Released in August 2005, the paper states that all patients presenting sleep related breathing disorder symptoms must be referred to a qualified physician for formal evaluation prior to initiating oral appliance therapy or any oral surgical therapies.
 

Complications and Side Effects Guide

The AADSM has identified a series of problems and solutions associated with oral appliance therapy. These findings were originally published in Dialogue and are considered a work in progress.