ABDSM case studies
ABDSM · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ABDSM (American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine) credential is a board certification for dentists who treat sleep-related breathing disorders, principally obstructive sleep apnea, with oral appliance therapy. It signals that a dentist has met a peer-reviewed standard of knowledge beyond general dental licensure and is intended for clinicians who already incorporate sleep medicine into practice or are building toward it. The ABDSM case studies are 5 cases and about 2,939 words.
1Borderline OSA With Severe Symptoms and a Dental Constraint
A 47-year-old woman with BMI 31, hypertension, and nightly snoring presents with an in-lab polysomnogram: AHI 9.4, ODI 14, nadir SpO2 86%, supine AHI 22, and a 6-minute arousal index of 21. She reports falling asleep at red lights two to three times monthly and scores 16 on the Epworth.
671 words, about 3 min2Central Events on the First Night of an Oral Appliance
A 58-year-old man with treated hypertension and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, BMI 28, was diagnosed with moderate OSA (AHI 18, predominantly obstructive). He declined CPAP and was fitted with a custom adjustable MAD, advanced over six weeks to a comfortable maximum.
597 words, about 3 min3Designing Around a Failing Anterior Bite and a Gag Reflex
A 63-year-old woman with moderate OSA (AHI 22) and CPAP intolerance requests an appliance. She has generalized moderate bone loss, mobility of #8 and #9 (Miller class II), an anterior open bite from years of tongue thrusting, and a strong gag reflex triggered by anything touching the posterior palate.
586 words, about 3 min4The Non-Responder Who Loves the Appliance
A 52-year-old man with severe OSA (baseline AHI 41, ODI 38, nadir 78%) was fitted with a custom MAD after CPAP failure. He has been advanced to near maximum protrusion over four months.
572 words, about 3 min5Referral, Scope, and the Sleep Physician Relationship
A general dentist in a state where dental licensure includes sleep appliance therapy has been asked by a primary care physician to 'handle the sleep apnea' for a 38-year-old woman with a home study showing AHI 19 and no physician evaluation. The dentist has a cone beam CT, a scanner, and a milling unit, and has taken several weekend courses on dental sleep medicine.
513 words, about 3 min