Healthcare Professionals

Sleep, Respiratory & ENT Specialists

Solutions 4 Snoring takes an integrated approach to the provision of anti-snoring products. We strongly believe that it is only by harmonising the roles of GP's, GDP's and Sleep Specialists that the large number of snoring sufferers can be effectively treated.

The role of mandibular advancement splints (MAS) in the management of non-apnoeic snoring is widely recognized (SIGN guidelines, 2003). The difficulty to-date, has been an unwillingness on the part of dentists to get involved due to a lack of appropriate training and the technical support required to fabricate a MAS. Solutions 4 Snoring Limited was formed to address both these concerns by establishing a specialist dental laboratory to manufacture Sleepwell ™ (clinical name MDSA) amongst other MAS. Sleepwell has been independently and rigorously tested both in terms of its clinical effectiveness and patient acceptability (Barnes et al., 2004 Am J Crit Care Med) and believe it offers the optimal design features.

Training of healthcare professionals

High quality MAS need to be custom-made with impressions taken by a clinically aware healthcare professional. In order to ensure healthcare professionals become “clinically aware” Solutions 4 Snoring has sponsored a series of one-day seminars, undertaken by Dr Ama Johal BDS, M.Sc, PhD, FDS, M.ORTH, FDS(Orth), RCS.Eng. To date more than 400 healthcare professionals have been trained and we anticipate by the end of 2005 there will be circa 700 trained clinicians. The seminars are designed to provide healthcare professionals with:

a. Comprehensive overview of sleep-related breathing disorders
b. The importance of recognising signs and symptoms associated with sleep-related breathing disorders, and in particular OSA as a distinct entity from simple snoring
c. The importance of working with sleep clinics
d. The role, design and prescription of MAS
e. The appropriateness of follow-up care.

Diagnosis

Healthcare professionals have been informed that their role is to treat simple snorers unless a sleep clinic has prescribed a mandibular advancement splint for mild to moderate sleep apnea. In order to ensure this is achieved we have issued healthcare professionals with Patient Pre-Screening Questionnaires (enclosed), a Multivariable Apnea Prediction (MAP) score and Patient Care Pathway(enclosed). Importantly, all patients are informed that a sleep test is the only sure method of eliminating the risk of OSA.

The Multivariable Apnea Prediction (MAP) score was developed by Greg Maislin M.S., M.A. Principal Biostatistician of Biomedical Statistical Consulting (Maislin et al., 1995, Sleep; www.biomedstat.com). It has been further developed by the Sleep Research Group at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, where it has been applied as a screening instrument in clinical practice.

Sleep Study

Healthcare professionals have been issued with the contact details of the Sleep Centres registered with the British Sleep Society. We have recommended that healthcare professionals make contact to determine how to refer to their local sleep centre as well as to offer their dental services to treat OSA patients with Sleepwell, if CPAP is not tolerated or considered unsuitable.

In addition S4S has offered these trained clinicians a private sleep test option due to the limited resources available within the NHS, as highlighted by the BTS audit (2004). Solutions 4 Snoring has entered into a partnering arrangement with Respironics (UK) Limited to offer Sleep Tests to suspected sufferers of OSA using the “Star Dust” domiciliary sleep test. The cost to the patient is £190 which includes an assessment of the results by a sleep physician.

Respironics (UK) Limited is, one of the UK’s largest respiratory device companies and supplies respiratory or sleep products to every UK NHS trust and is a leading supplier into the UK private healthcare sector. Respironics provide a full range of diagnostic equipment, CPAP devices for treating the patient, a full range of patient/CPAP interfaces and patient management programmes to ensure the patients are compliant to their therapy.

Contact a snoring clinic

Should you wish to know the name of your nearest snoring clinic you can do this very quickly by clicking here.

Sleepwell Cost

The normal price for Sleepwell to a snoring clinic is £160 Inc VAT however we have decided to reduce this to £140 to Sleep Centres within the NHS. If you would like more information about Sleepwell please call us at the above number or email info@solutions4snoring.com.

Team work

Solutions 4 Snoring believes that “Patient Care” can be improved by a holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment of snoring and in particular the valuable contribution that healthcare professionals can offer. We therefore felt it would be appropriate to inform you of these developments and we would very much appreciate any further suggestions as to how we may improve our service.

Our Keynotes Speaker and Medical Advisor Dr Ama Johal (BDS, M.Sc, PhD, FDS, M.Orth. FDS (Orth) RCS Eng.) has recently conducted a questionnaire study involving 100 UK Sleep Service Providers. The overwhelming feedback from these centres has been in support of an educational programme for GDP's in the understanding of Snoring and OSA.

We would welcome your feedback on our plans to educate GDP's in this subject.

The majority of those that have responded are keen to see an alternative source of treatment for simple snorers and mild apnoeics and also supported the role of the GDP in providing triage for those needing referral to sleep centres with more serious SBD.

Our consultation has also highlighted that Sleep Centres would find it helpful to have a list of healthcare professionals qualified in the prescription of MAS devices.

More Details

If you would like information on snoring clinics trained to prescribe mandibular advancement splints in your area CLICK HERE