Pediatric SDB: The Impact of Early Diagnosis & Dental Management

Think of the last 50 year-old sleep patient in your chair. How did they get there? What if the signs and symptoms of their apnea were present 40 years ago, but no one recognized it?How many of your pediatric patients are on ADHD meds? How many of them perform poorly in school, have behavioral issues, or wet the bed until they’re way too old? Whether they’re your own kids, those of a friend, or your patients, helping them begins with information. What should you look for? How do you discuss concerns with parents? What treatments are available? What else might be a factor, and how can you manage these patients in your dental practice today, so they aren’t there for an oral appliance 20 years from now?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Recognize signs and symptoms of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing.
2. Understand key talking points when discussing suspected pedo OSA with parents.
3. Determine when patients should be referred to specialists.
4. Explain the most common treatment options.

Date:

January 30, 2025 @ NOON -6:00 PM

Location:

7965 East Cavasson Blvd. 

Scottsdale, AZ 85255

Meet the Instructors:

Dr. Michelle Weddle, DDS, FAGD, D-ABDSM

(ASAP Pathway Co-Founder)

Dr. Weddle is a graduate of the NYU College of Dentistry with a General Practice Residency certificate from Newark Beth Israel. She completed the mini-residency in dental sleep medicine at Tufts University and holds a Diplomate in Dental Sleep Medicine from the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr. Weddle has attended the Pankey Institute, The Dawson Center, Spear Education, and The Kois Center. She is also a visiting faculty mentor at the Airway Prosthodontics workshop at Spear Education, working with both her mentors Jeff Rouse and Jamison Spencer to help teach what is basically her whole clinical practice in a workshop.   As the co-founder of ASAP Pathway, she is dedicated to helping other dentists learn and implement pediatric dental airway management in order to help their practices grow while helping more children. Dr Weddle’s passion lies in integrative and interdisciplinary care. This has led her to be the program coordinator for the adult and pediatric airway and dental sleep medicine curriculum at Newark Beth Israel’s General  Practice Residency in Dentistry; and a visiting faculty for physician fellows in sleep medicine at JFK Neuroscience, Hackensack Meridian Hospital.  She is also part of the craniofacial team taking care of babies in the NICU with cleft lip and palate at St Peter’s University Hospital.  Dr. Weddle is in private practice in NJ and is the founder and co-founder of a variety of general and sleep and airway focused practices.

Dr. Tracey Nguyen, DDS, FAGD, AAACD, D-ABDSM

(ASAP Pathway Co-Founder)

Dr. Tracey Nguyen maintains a private practice 30 minutes outside of Washington, DC in Northern Virginia. Accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry in 2015, she was honored with Top 25 Women in Dentistry by Dental Products Magazine in 2016, the same year she completed her graduate training at the prestigious Kois Center in Seattle, Washington. She is a key opinion leader in the Wellness Dentistry Network, founded by Dr. Doug Thompson, focusing on merging the gaps between medicine and dentistry and understanding the oral systemic connection. After attending one of Dr. Jeff Rouse's courses, she became increasingly interested in dentistry’s role in managing patients with dental malocclusions comorbid with airway and sleep issues, and she frequently mentors the Airway Workshop by Dr. Jeff Rouse as a visiting faculty mentor at Spear Education. In 2016, she developed the Sleep and Airway Group, a local interdisciplinary group of doctors from various specialties, driven by her passion to create awareness of dental intervention strategies. In 2020, she co-founded ASAP, Airway, Sleep and Pediatric Pathway, an online mini-residency for pediatric dental sleep medicine. Recognized for her exceptional knowledge of Pediatric Airway Management, she was honored as the Scientific Advisor for the Kois Center in 2021. Through her social media platform, she unites clinicians worldwide for a common cause, aiming to develop a better understanding of disease complexities and foster collaboration among professionals to co-diagnose and treat.

Dr. Stacy Becker, DDS, D-ABDSM, FICOI

(ASAP Pathway Co-Founder)

Dr. Stacy Becker graduated from the St. Louis Community College-Forest Park dental hygiene program in 1995. She went on to dental school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry, graduating with distinction and honors in 2002. She is a Diplomate with the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and certified with special knowledge and training in dental sleep medicine. Dr. Becker actively pursues continuing education to incorporate the latest techniques and advanced treatment for her patients. She is proud to offer her patients microscope-enhanced dentistry, which allows intraoral structures to be examined at an extremely high level of magnification, facilitating a more thorough diagnosis and precise treatment. Since 2008, Dr. Becker has repeatedly been awarded St. Louis’ Top Dentist status by St. Louis Magazine. She enjoys volunteering and giving back to the community with events like Give Kids a Smile, which she hosted in 2009. Dr. Becker is also a fellow with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. Additionally, Dr. Becker co-founded ASAP Pathway (Airway, Sleep, and Pediatric Pathway) program. ASAP Pathway teaches dentists how to identify and help children with sleep and airway issues.