Opening a Dialog About Sleep Apnea with Kathryn Gilliam, Fellow of the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health

Dec 17, 2019

In today’s episode of the “Healthy Sleep Revolution” podcast, Dr. Dassani is joined by her dear friend and Fellow of the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health, Kathryn Gilliam, who discusses her role in identifying, screening and having conversations about sleep apnea.

 

Episode Highlights:

 

• Kathryn’s many academic and professional achievements
• Her protocols when looking for and conversing about sleep issues with patients/parents
• Signs and symptoms of sleep/breathing issues in children and adults
• The biggest changes or results that Kathryn has experienced with patients
• The questions that Kathryn would encourage patients/parents to ask dental practitioners

 

Quotes:

  

 “There’s so many questions and so many signs that can point to a sleep disturbance.”

 

“What is their normal doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s what we want for them.”

 

“It’s possible that we could save people from the medication and the awful side effects and help them have a completely different course of life if we could help them breathe and then sleep.”

 

“That’s the great thing about being a dental hygienist is we have the luxury of time with our patients.”

 

“We have to make the solutions work for these people, but it starts with education.”

 

“Really scary things can happen.”

 

“It’s actually pretty profound for people when you can help them get a good night’s sleep.”

 

“It’s so rewarding to do this kind of work.”

 

“It can affect your entire life if you don’t breathe well and sleep well so…be open to the fact that your dental practitioner can make a huge difference in your overall health.”

 

Links:

 

Dassani Dentistry homepage: https://www.dassanidentistry.com

 

Podigy homepage:   https://podigy.co/