The Troublesome Connection Between TMD and Airway

When patients present to dental offices with TMD and head pain, most dentists don’t ask about other somatic pain syndromes or take a detailed history that might reveal airway problems. This lecture establishes why TMD & airway are often linked, provides tools to help manage chronic conditions, and positions dentists as experts in helping patients achieve greater overall health.

Speaker (s)

Steve Carstensen, DDS, FAGD, DABDSM, FAAS

Dr. Carstensen is an educational consultant and the Director of Clinical Education for Airway Technologies. Since 2011, he has designed sleep courses, given keynotes, and lectured exclusively on sleep & sleep-related breathing disorders.

Patients at his clinic, Seattle Sleep, benefit from his nearly three decades of experience treating snoring and sleep-related breathing disorders. A diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, he is internationally recognized for his leadership in dental sleep medicine and lectures globally throughout the year. Dr. Carstensen is the ADA’s consultant on Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders. He is also the co-author of The Clinician’s Handbook for Dental Sleep Medicine (Quintessence), now in its second edition.

Course Highlights

• Take a more detailed patient health history and ask better questions
• Reduce the uncertainty that often surrounds the diagnosis of chronic pain
• Approach appliance therapy with greater confidence
• Recognize patient habits that contribute to chronic pain and address them