Expanding on the topics explored during our successful Pediatric Dental Sleep Medicine Symposium last fall, we are trilled to announce a new addition to our Dental Sleep Medicine programing, the Pediatric Dental Sleep Medicine Mini-Residency!

To anyone treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) patients and pediatric patients, this burgeoning field is of the utmost importance. Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is increasingly recognized as a chronic disorder of dysfunctional breathing during sleep in children and can range from habitual snoring to OSA. The spectrum of SDB can result in adverse neurocognitive consequences from sleep fragmentation and intermittent hypoxemia, as well as adverse craniofacial maldevelopment, abnormal breathing patterns, learning difficulties, ADD and ADHD, poor academic performances, bed wetting, excessive sleepiness, and behavioral, mood, and anxiety disorders.

Despite these alarming facts, research has shown that children are suboptimally screened for SDB in their routine physical and dental check-ups, making it difficult to initiate the early intervention strategies necessary to improve children’s overall quality of life and learning whilst preventing the development of significant and lasting morbidity.

Designed to bring awareness to the importance of early intervention in treating pediatric SDB, this first-of-its-kind program will help dentists understand the basics of normal sleep maturation, respiratory physiology, and craniofacial development throughout childhood. A host of treatment options will be presented by a team of multidisciplinary instructors representing medical, surgical, and dental backgrounds. Participants will become familiar with various sleep disorders in children and adolescents and review cutting-edge research and techniques in evaluation and treatment of SDB in children.