The Role of Dentistry in Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Overview

Date & Time: December 5, 2020, 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Location: Online as part of the IODA Scientific Symposium

Seminar Title: The Role of Dentistry in Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Overview

1 CE point- Category 2

Speaker: Dr. Tina Meisami BSc, DDS, FRCDC, ABDSM, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon

Description: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder affecting at least 2-4% of the adult population and is associated with a diminished quality of life, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, thereby making it a significant public health concern.  Longitudinal observational studies indicate that severe OSA significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke and death.  OSA is considered a chronic disease that requires lifelong management.  Therefore chronic disease management strategies have been developed to provide clinically effective treatment of OSA on a long term basis. Positive airway pressure (PAP) is the accepted first-line therapy for patients with OSA.  PAP is highly efficacious, virtually eliminating OSA.  However due to its low patient acceptance and adherence rate, alternative treatment modalities are now available. These options vary from oral appliance therapy to surgery, and Dentistry is one of the required disciplines in the multi-disciplinary approach to treatment of OSA.

Learning Objectives:

· Understand an overview of pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment modalities for OSA

· Understand the implementation of educational and screening tools to identify at-risk patients

· Understand the role of the dentists in referral process to Sleep Medicine Specialists and Treatment

Speakers' Bio: Dr. Tina Meisami is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. She completed her surgical residency at University of Toronto in 2001 and a fellowship in Trauma and Orthognathic Surgery in South Africa. She was the Director of the Toronto General Hospital Dental Residency Program from 2002 to 2004 and the Dental Residency Course Director for IV Sedation and Anaesthesia for Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto from 2002 to 2014. She is the director of Sleep Medicine at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Division of Dentistry, University Health Network. She is board certified with the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. Her interest in Sleep Medicine arose as a result of a combined interest in airway management for anaesthesia and surgical treatment of skeletal facial deformities. Her current research focus at UHN is twofold; first the impact of oral appliance therapy on improvement of overall health for homeless women; and second, the impact of maxillo-mandibular advancement surgery in the treatment of moderate to severe OSA. Dr. Meisami is an Active Staff Surgeon at North York General Hospital, where she provides treatment for dentofacial deformities and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. She is also the founder and principal surgeon at Yorkville Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic in Toronto. Dr. Meisami is the Founder of Dr. Borna Meisami Commemorative Foundation. This is a non-profit charitable organization that provides free facial and dental reconstruction as well as treatment of obstructive sleep apnea for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence living in shelters in the Greater Toronto Area through its two projects namely Restoring Smiles and Restoring Sleep. The organization includes a consortium of 40 dentists and physicians and has provided over a million dollars in free treatment over the past 10 years. The foundation launched its second project Restoring Sleep most recently in 2020 and is partnering with University Health Network to find feasible treatment solutions for the marginalized population of women living in shelters.

How to register:

Please click HERE to pay and register for the symposium

Please note the followings: 

1. It will take a few days until we can confirm your registration. We will send you the confirmation email.

2. The registration will close on Dec 4, 2020 at 12 pm and unfortunately we will not be able to accommodate late requests.

3. If you cancel your registration by Dec 1, 2020, there will be a full refund minus $10.00 administration fee. There is no refund for those that would not attend the meeting, or request to cancel after Dec 1, 2020.

To satisfy the RCDSO’s requirement for granting the certificate of attendance, please note the followings:

1. Only the registered particiapnts can attend the symposium.

2. Fifteen minutes after the course starts, we will lock the meeting to prevent anyone new from joining the meeting. If you are late for the session you will not be admitted.

3. During the session and to record your attendance, we will be sending polls every 30 minutes that you need to respond to. If you miss more than one poll, you will not granted the certificate of attendance for that session.

4. You need to complete an online assessment at the end of the Core 1 session in order to receive your certificate.