ABDSM study guide
ABDSM · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
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 study guide has 6 sections and about 1,850 words.
01Patient Selection and Clinical Evaluation
Patient selection begins with a structured sleep history (snoring, witnessed apneas, gasping, unrefreshing sleep, daytime sleepiness), a validated symptom instrument such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and a focused airway examination. Document comorbidities that shift risk: obesity, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes, and prior stroke.
341 words, about 2 min02Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders and Diagnosis
Understand the spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, mixed and complex patterns, and sleep-related hypoventilation. Know the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and the severity thresholds: mild 5 to under 15, moderate 15 to under 30, severe 30 or more events per hour.
319 words, about 2 min03Oral Appliance Therapy: Devices, Design, and Fabrication
OAT works by advancing and stabilizing the mandible to enlarge and stiffen the upper airway. Know the main categories: mandibular advancement devices (MADs), including one-piece and two-piece designs, and tongue-retaining devices.
313 words, about 2 min04Titration, Follow-Up, and Treatment Adherence
Titration is iterative. After delivery, schedule early follow-up to check fit, comfort, and tissue response, then advance the mandible in small increments (commonly fractions of a millimeter to about 1 mm per step) while monitoring symptoms.
283 words, about 1 min05Dentistry and Dental Sleep Medicine
Dental sleep medicine sits within the practice of dentistry, so foundational dental competence underpins OAT. Know periodontal health assessment, caries control, restoration integrity, and occlusal evaluation before and during therapy.
304 words, about 2 min06Interprofessional Collaboration and Practice Management
OAT is delivered through a team: the patient, the sleep physician who diagnoses and interprets testing, the dentist who fabricates and titrates, and often the primary care clinician. Know the referral loop - a physician order or referral, the dental assessment and appliance, and communication of outcomes back to the physician.
290 words, about 1 min