The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The course is a broad introduction to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It will define what OSA is and cover the epidemiology and prevalence of the disease in the US. There will be a brief review of human development and evolution, as it is only through understanding these processes that it becomes clear why OSA occurs and why it is so common. We will discuss OSA’s severe impact on health, stressing how lack of treatment significantly increases all-cause mortality as well as increases the risk for stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain forms of cancer, senility and other conditions. We will also briefly discuss the impact of OSA in the pediatric population and athletics. Despite these significant health risks from untreated OSA, it remains largely unrecognized and undiagnosed. Hence, we will discuss the role of dentistry in addressing this issue through screening and treating OSA. However, because OSA and its cousin, primary snoring, are medical conditions, the course will also suggest current best practices available to dentists for safely and professionally navigating the medical field. 

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the serious need for screening obstructive sleep apnea in the dental practice
• Have the means for initiating screening for OSA in their patients
• Be able to define what OSA is and understand its impact on other body systems
• Understand the standards of practice in dentistry and medicine as these standards apply to treating OSA

Geoffrey E. Gerstner holds a BS in Zoology and did an MS while simultaneously obtaining a DDS degree at UCLA. He subsequently pursued graduate training through an individual NIH Dentist Scientist Award. He studied Orofacial Pain management at the UCLA School of Dentistry and obtained a PhD in Neuroscience through the UCLA School of Medicine.

Dr. Gerstner has been faculty at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry since 1992, where he has taught pre-doctoral and post-doctoral clinical, pre-clinical, and didactic courses in dental sleep medicine, occlusion, orofacial pain, temporomandibular disorders, sleep bruxism, and the neurobiology of chewing, swallowing, breathing, and speech. He has won many teaching awards, including Dean’s Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Gerstner has mentored 160 undergraduate students, 66 graduate students and 5 post-doctoral research investigators. Dr. Gerstner’s current research focuses on comparative mammalian studies of the chewing rhythm, and on clinical studies related to obstructive sleep apnea. He is funded by the AADSM to study the validity of over-the-counter consumer products marketed for use in home obstructive sleep apnea screening and assessment.

Dr. Gerstner is Director of the Sleep Apnea Clinic at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. His practice is limited to treating obstructive sleep apnea and is located in Graduate Prosthodontics and in Hospital Dentistry. He holds DDS licenses in Michigan and California.