AADSM History
The AADSM was founded in 1991 by a small group of dentists who were interested in studying, researching and practicing dental sleep medicine. Today, the organization has grown to more than 3,800 members.
Below is a timeline of the milestones in the AADSM's growth:
The Early Years
1991 – Founding and charter members start the Sleep Disorders Dental Society (SDDS) - later to become the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.
1992 – SDDS becomes incorporated and bylaws are created, and the inaugural Annual Meeting of the SDDS takes place in Phoenix, AZ, drawing 25 attendees.
1996 – American Dental Association approves SDDS educational programs for continuing education credit.
1997 – Springer publishes the first volume of Sleep and Breathing and provides it to all members of the AADSM.
1998 – SDDS founds a certification program, which will certify more than 100 dentists between 1998 and 2004.
1999 – SDDS honors first recipients of the Pierre Robin Academic Award and Distinguished Service Award.
The ADSM
2000 – SDDS becomes the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (ADSM) and
publishes the first issue of Dialogue, the official publication of the AADSM, earlier called the ADSM Report.
2002 – ADSM comes under the management of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and the national office moves from Wexford, PA to Westchester, IL. ADSM membership surpasses 300 dental professionals.
2003 – The ADSM Annual Meeting runs in conjunction with the SLEEP Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) for the first time.
2004 – The American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM) certification examination replaces the ADSM’s certification program, and the ADSM honors first recipients of the Honorary Member Award and Best Abstract in Dental Sleep Medicine Awards at the 13th Annual Meeting.
2005 – ADSM offers its first Introduction to Dental Sleep Medicine Course in Miami, FL.
2006 – AASM publishes “Practice Parameters for the Treatment of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Oral Appliances” in the journal SLEEP.
The AADSM
2006 – ADSM becomes the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM).
2009 – AADSM offers its first Advanced Study Club Program and Advanced Course in Oral Appliance Therapy.
2010 – AADSM relocates to a new national office in Darien, IL. The Board of Directors approves a DSM Facility Accreditation program. The AADSM offers its first one-day workshop in dental sleep medicine, and the Research Committee launches a new research award competition for students and clinicians.
2011 - AADSM 20th Anniversary Meeting is held in Minneapolis, MN. AADSM accreditation is granted to a DSM facility for the first time.
2012 - AADSM 21st Annual Meeting in Boston attracts a record attendance of more than 1,100 individuals.
2013 - Academy membership surpasses 3,000 individuals.
2014 - AADSM defines an effective oral appliance through a consensus conference, which is later updated in 2019 and launches the Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine as its official publication.
2015 - AADSM and AASM publish “Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring with Oral Appliance Therapy: An Update for 2015”
2018 - AADSM national office moves to independent management and relocates to Lisle, IL. AADSM launches the AADSM Mastery Program and establishes the AADSM Qualified Dentist designation. AADSM publishes “Dental Sleep Medicine Standards for Screening, Treating and Managing Adults with Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders in JDSM.
2019 – More than 1,000 dentists are qualified to provide oral appliance therapy.
2020 and beyond – 2,400 dentists are qualified to provide oral appliance therapy. It created a new patient website – DentalSleep.org. The AADSM has continued to update the standards for practice, consensus statements and other policy and position statements. The AADSM has developed further education related to practice management and TMD for the DSM dentist.
