Leading dental and medical experts meeting at the American Dental Association’s Sleep and Airway-Focused Dentistry Summit said dentists should play a much larger role in diagnosing, managing, and providing long-term care for patients with sleep and airway disorders, especially sleep apnea.
More than 40 participants—including dentists, sleep physicians, neurologists, researchers, consultants, and industry leaders—gathered to examine how dentistry can help address major gaps in sleep disorder care.
Speakers highlighted the scale of the problem. An estimated 30 million people in the United States experience interrupted breathing during sleep, yet only about 6 million have been formally diagnosed with sleep apnea. Experts warned that this gap leaves millions at risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, metabolic disorders, and reduced quality of life.
Attendees agreed that closing this gap requires a coordinated, patient-centered approach in which dentists work closely with physicians rather than operating in separate systems.
Throughout the summit, panelists stressed that dentists are uniquely positioned to screen for airway problems, identify sleep-related breathing disorders, and provide oral appliance therapy, an established alternative for many sleep apnea patients.
Addressing the meeting, ADA President Richard Rosato, D.M.D., said airway management is an area that plays to dentistry’s strengths and professional responsibilities. However, experts noted that many patients remain unaware that dental therapy can be part of sleep disorder treatment, often assuming CPAP devices or surgery are the only options.
Education emerged as a central theme. Participants called for greater awareness among physicians about dental sleep medicine and better public education about oral appliances as evidence-based treatments. ADA member dentist Payam Attai, D.M.D., a summit organizer, said improving sleep health aligns closely with dentistry’s growing role in systemic health.
Despite shared goals, speakers acknowledged ongoing barriers between medicine and dentistry. Fragmented referral pathways, incompatible electronic records, and separate insurance systems continue to hinder coordinated care. David Schwartz, D.D.S., former president of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, warned that progress will remain limited without stronger cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Insurance challenges were also a major concern. Panelists cited inconsistent coverage, complex credentialing, and limited reimbursement as obstacles to expanding access to dental sleep treatments. These issues disproportionately affect lower-income and underserved patients, widening existing health disparities.
In closing sessions, attendees outlined priorities for advancing sleep and airway-focused dentistry. These included clarifying dentistry’s role in airway health, improving communication with physicians, expanding software interoperability, advocating for standardized insurance coverage, and strengthening education and training in dental sleep medicine.
Experts concluded that addressing sleep and airway disorders is becoming an essential part of modern dental practice, reinforcing dentistry’s expanding role in overall health care.