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ONE MILLION AMERICANS SNORE. A study published in Sleep Magazine found that as many as 92% of middle-aged men and 83% of middle-aged women may have undiagnosed moderate-to-severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends oral appliances and CPAP as the #1 treatments for mild and moderate Sleep Apnea. The CPAP industry generates upwards of four billion dollars each year.

Of those patients who try CPAP, 50-75% reject the mask…and are searching for an alternative.

Their search in turn creates a driving demand for appropriate treatment modalities, an availability of at least two billion dollars annually for addressing said need, and an undeniable, unprecedented opportunity for personal…

Looking for ways to increase practice income in the new year? You already know that bringing in new patients takes a lot of time and effort. A popular business dictum is “the best new customer is the customer you already have.”

Instead of focusing on finding new dental customers (especially if you work in a low-population or highly competitive area), consider how you can offer more to your existing customers. One great option? Anti-snoring oral appliances.

According to the Sleep Foundation magazine, roughly 90 million American adults snore. That snoring can make life miserable for a sleep partner. No one wants to receive an elbow in the gut in the middle of the night or get banished…

“For patients with crowns or bridges, bruxism may cause porcelain fracture and failure of the restoration. Implant complications are more likely in people who habitually clench or grind their teeth (Perl, 1994, Nishimura et al., 1997)

The Talon® Splint

“Talon” refers to the soft thermoplastic resilient polymer used for the retentive portion of the splint. It maintains its original flexibility for years, thus eliminating the need for any other form of mechanical retention. Hard acrylic is chemically bonded to the talon material, comprising the splint’s occlusal surface.

Superior Fit and Retention, Speech-Friendly Comfort

Talon’s soft thermoplastic resilient polymer provides the comfortable fit of a soft material while providing the…

The fields of dentistry and orthodontics continually evolve as we seek new and better understandings on how to effectively treat the myriad dental issues we face in our practices. As a dentist or orthodontist, you can’t afford to stop learning, or you’ll be doing your patients a disservice.

Here at Space Maintainers Laboratories, we are proud to introduce our new SML Webinar series. Each webinar features an expert speaker who will dive deep into an important topic. They may address a fascinating case study, discuss a new treatment protocol, or examine challenging diagnosis.

Our series is still relatively new, but we already have several webinars posted from speakers, including:

• Grinding or clenching breaks down enamel and can eventually reduce teeth to stumps.

• Absence of enamel makes it easier for bacteria to penetrate the softer part of teeth and produce cavities.

• As long as bruxism continues, the situation keeps getting worse.

“Although no hard and fast figures on the frequency of bruxism are available currently, it is known that 80% of all bruxers may be unaware of the habit (Thompson, Blount, and Krumholtz, 1994) or ashamed of it… and that evidence of the self-destructive behavior (worn teeth) may take years to actually appear.

Estimates of the prevalence ranges from 5% to 100% …but it can safely be said that at the very least, one out of twenty Americans brux. Most likely, one in…