Level One

Introduction to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

Online  |  Earn up to seven* CE credits  |  Dentists and RDHs

* This number is an estimate. Your regulatory body will issue the credits.

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Exploring the symptoms, causes, treatments and devices At level one, you will discover how to identify sleep-disordered breathing in your patients and how to address OSA through non-surgical management. We’ll analyze reference materials and case studies through on-demand coursework to build the foundational knowledge needed before beginning the hands-on work.

Level one is designed to provide a basic introduction to sleep and dentistry that every dentist and registered dental hygienist should know. This course is ideal for dentists with an interest in holistic and comprehensive care, even if they never plan to deliver a sleep appliance.

What you will learn

What is normal sleep?

A productive day starts with good sleep, and it’s estimated that 80% of people with OSA are undiagnosed — leaving a large subset of the population with a lack of proper sleep. Learn how to discuss sleep and breathing physiology with your patients to discover if their condition is normal or pathologic.

Pathophysiology of OSA

You’ll dig into the ‘why’ of sleep-disordered breathing to understand when hypoxia and sleep fragmentation happen and how to manage the obstructions. The course will integrate unbiased and cutting-edge technologies with sleep studies to learn the devices and therapy options, such as myofunctional therapy and morning repositioning devices.

OSA and dentistry

It takes a team of health-care practitioners working in tandem to identify, diagnose and treat sleep apnea. Every practitioner needs to communicate effectively to provide high-value referrals, understand expectations and select the best path for the patient. You’ll learn how dentists fit into the process with sleep specialists, medical doctors and otolaryngologists.

Intro to pediatric

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) will differ between pediatric and adult patients. This results in devices not working for pediatrics due to the effects it will have on modifying growth. We will cover how to build specialist pediatric sleep teams in the process.

Questions?

Contact us at dentce@ualberta.ca

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Pricing and details

This course combines six hours of self-directed work with one hour of an online real-time lecture designed to provide the basic understanding of sleep and dentistry that every dentist should know, whether they plan to deliver OSA appliances or not.

Course fees include:

  • Detailed course reference materials for two years
  • Access to your instructors for live Q&A sessions
  • On-demand coursework
  • Live real-time lectures

Online materials are accessible for one year.

Prerequisites

  • Levels must be completed in numerical order
  • Doctor of dental surgery (DDS) or doctor of medicine in dentistry (DMD) degree
  • Letter of good standing from your local regulatory authority or a copy of your current practice permit
  • Out of province: Active practicing license from your Canadian dental regulatory authority

Three payment options

1. Bundle all three levels to get level one free

Purchase all three levels together to get the first level free. The discount will appear automatically in your cart after you select dates for all three levels.

2. Bundle levels one and two to save 50% off level one

Want the flexibility of the date of your last course, but still want to take advantage of a discount? Pick your level one and two dates on the same purchase to get 50% off of level one. The discount will appear automatically in your cart after you add both level one and level two.

3. Pay as you go

Purchase each level individually to get the option to pay in installments and have the most flexibility with dates.

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Our leading faculty

Dr. Enoch Ng
OSA program director and general dentist

Dr. Ng, DDS, received his doctor of dental surgery degree at the University of Minnesota.

He is currently pursuing his certificate in pain management through the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta and is also a graduate student at the University of Alberta’s School of Dentistry with his thesis in dental sleep medicine.

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Dr. James Mah
program director in orthodontics and OSA

Dr. Mah, DDS, MSc, DMSc, BSc, is a clinical professor and the program director in orthodontics and dean of dentistry at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His research is focused on 3-dimensional imaging and modelling for diagnosis, treatment planning and therapeutics as well as anthropology and forensics.

He has been involved in the research and development of 3-D facial imaging devices, intra-oral scanners, CAD/CAM applications in dentistry and cone-beam CT scanners.

He obtained his doctorate of dental surgery, master of science degrees and his certificate of specialization in orthodontics from the University of Alberta. Following he graduated from Harvard Medical School with a doctorate of medical science degree and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the department of orthopaedics at Children's Hospital, Boston.

Dr. Mah has authored numerous publications, textbooks, and book chapters and regularly presents nationally and internationally. In addition, his work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The National Post, Tech TV and Men's Health. He also reviews for the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, the American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics and other dental journals.

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Dr. Michael Major
OSA program director and orthodontist

Dr. Major, DMD, MSc, FRCDC, is the director of the Interdisciplinary Airway Research Clinic, a 10-year collaboration between the Stollery Children’s Hospital and the University of Alberta School of Dentistry.

He also holds an academic appointment with the University of Alberta as an active researcher in pediatric sleep, and serves as co-president of Alberta Dental Sleep Medicine study club.

Clinically he practices at Verve Orthodontics and The Snore Centre, where he serves as clinical director of pediatrics in Canada’s first community based, multi-disciplinary, dental sleep medicine clinic.

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Discover level two

Level two is the first half of the certification training to practice dental sleep medicine in Alberta. Together we will take a deep dive into the nature of chronic inflammatory diseases to understand the connection between OSA and its comorbidities; then learn the basics of understanding home sleep test data that helps guide your clinical decision-making. Finally, you will take your knowledge of airway anatomy to new heights at the hands-on cadaver lab.

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