American Board of Sleep and Breathing

The American Board of Sleep and Breathing (ABSB) is an independent organization that provides a Diplomate designation for dentists who provide evidence of knowledge and skill in the provision of oral appliance therapy for sleep and breathing disorders.

The American Board of Sleep and Breathing (ABSB) is a collective of physician, dentist and sleep technician contributors who provide their expertise and experience in developing and applying testing/evaluation of dentists seeking recognition for their education in sleep medicine and their expertise in provision of oral appliance therapy for sleep and breathing disorders.

The mission of the ABSB is to provide physician colleagues and the public with knowledgeable and skilled dental practitioners in the field of sleep medicine through the process of Diplomate designation.

The ABSB developed as an independent entity from the American Sleep and Breathing Academy. Diplomate status with the ABSB does not represent a specialty in medicine or dentistry, nor does it grant or imply any legal qualification, privilege or license to practice. Instead, it recognizes those dentists, licensed by law in their state, who have met the ABSB guidelines.

Guidelines

• Candidates must submit proof of 50 hours of continuing education in Dental Sleep Medicine within the last 2 years. This year’s Board Review and Annual Meeting can count towards the 50 hours. Proof must be mailed in with application before sitting for the written examination. Candidates, will have one year to complete the Diplomate process.
• Attend the Diplomate Review
• Pass 100 question Diplomate written Exam.
• Pass Scenario-Based Oral Exam.
• Categories-Basic Sleep Medicine, Oral Appliance Therapy, Polysomnography, Portable Monitors, Surgery, Pediatrics, Complications, CPAP, Imaging.
• Candidates must sign up to take the Diplomate exam by April 1, 2020. It is mandatory, that candidates attend the board review course given by the ASBA, prior to the written exam. A mock exam will be given at the review course.

The American Board of Sleep and Breathing (ABSB) is an independent board, providing a Diplomate designation to licensed dentists who treat sleep related breathing disorders. The ABSB Diplomate designation does not represent a specialty in dentistry or medicine, nor does it grant or imply any legal qualification. Instead, it recognizes those dentists duly licensed by law in their state, who have met the requirements of the ABSB.

Suggested Reading

Articles

1. Dempsey JA, Veasey SC, Morgan BJ, O’Donnell CP. Pathophysiology of sleep apnea, Physiol Rev. Jan; 90(1) 47-112
2. Ayappa I, Rapport DM. The upper airway in sleep: Physiology of the pharynx. Sleep med rev. Feb 2003; 7(1): 9-33
3. Schutz TC, Anderson ML, Tufic S. Influence of TMJ pain on sleep patterns: role of nitric oxide. J Dent Res. Sep 2004: 83 (9): 693-697
4. Kushida CA, Morgenthaler TI, Littner MR, et al. Practice parameters for the treatment of snoring and OSA with oral appliances: an update for 2005. sleep. Feb 1 2006:29 (2): 240-243
5. Calvin AD, Somers UK. OSA and cardiovascular disease. Curr Opin Cardiol. Nov 2009; 24 (6): 516-520
6. Clark GT, Blumenfield I, Yoffe N, Peled E, Lavine P. A crossover study comparing the efficacy of CPAP with anterior mandibular positioning devices on patients with OSA. Chest. Jun 1996; 109(6): 1477-1483
7. Silber MH, Ancoli- Israels, Bonnet MH et al. The visual scoring of sleep in adults. JCSM. March 15 2007; 3(2) 121-131
8. Cartwright R, Ristanovic R, Diaz F, Caldanelli D, Alder G. A comparative study of the treatments for positional sleep apnea. Sleep. Dec 1991; 14(6): 546-552
9. Won CH, Li KK, Guilleminault C. Surgical treatment of OSA: Upper airway and maxillomandibular surgery. Proceedings of the American thoracic society 2008; 5: 193- 199
10. Vanderveken OM, Devolder A, Marklund M, et al. Comparison of a custom made and a thermoplastic oral appliance for the treatment of mild sleep apnea. An J Respir crit care med. July 15 2008; 178(2): 197-202
11. Ebrahim I O, Howard R S, Kopelman M D, Sharief M K, Williams A J. The hypocretin/orexin system. J R Soc Med. 2002 May; 95(5) 227-230
12. Ramar K, Dort LC, Katz SG, Lettieri CJ, Harrod CG, Thomas SM, Chervin RD. Clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, and snoring, with oral appliance therapy: an update for 2015. J Clin Sleep Med. 2015 Jul 15;11(7):773-827
13. Capdevila OS, Gozal LK, Dayyat E, Gozal D. Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. Complications, management, and long-term outcomes. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2008 Feb 15; 5(2): 274-282
14. ADA house of delegates. The role of dentistry in the treatment of sleep related breathing disorders. 2017. www.ada.org/en/~/media/ADA/member%20center/files/the-role-of-dentistry-in-sleep-related-breathing-disorders.
15. Michels DdS, Rodrigues AdMS, Nakanishi M, Sampayo ALL, Venosa AR. Nasal involvement in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Int J Otolaryngol. 2014; 717419
16. Pliska BT, Nam H, Chen H, Lowe AA, Almeida FR. Obstructive sleep apnea and mandibular advancement splints: Occlusal effects and progression of changes associated with a decade of treatment. J Clin Sleep Med. 2014 Dec 15;10(12):1285-91.
17. Harvard Medical School. Restless leg syndrome. Harvard Health Publishing. December 2018.
18. Waterhouse J, Fukuda Y, Morita T. Daily rhythms of the sleep-wake cycle. J Physiol Anthropol. 2012; 31(1): 5.
19. Balasubramanian R, Klasser GD, Cistulli PA, Lavigne GJ. The link between sleep Bruxism, Sleep disordered breathing and temporomandibular disorders: an evidence-based review. J Den Sleep Med. 2014; 1(1): 27-37
20. Ong JC, Crawford MR. Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Med Clin. 2013 Sep 1; 8(3): 389-398

Books

1. Attanasio, Ronald, and Dennis R. Bailey.  Dental Management of Sleep Disorders. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print.
2. Chase, Peter. Sleep Medicine & Oral Appliance Therapy, A Manual for Physicians and Dentists. CreateSpace Pub., 2015. Print.