Dentists, sleep docs differ on HST
By HME News Staff
Updated Fri November 20, 2020
YARMOUTH, Maine -- The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine has issued a position statement that says dentists should be allowed to order or administer home sleep tests, something the American Academy of Sleep Medicine disagrees with, according to an article published in the Sleep Review. The AADSM states: “It is within the scope of practice for a qualified dentist, defined by the American Dental Association (ADA) as a dentist treating sleep-related breathing disorders who continually updates his or her knowledge and training of dental sleep medicine with related continuing education, to order or administer home sleep apnea tests (HSATs).” The AASM, for its part, states that a home sleep apnea test is used as a medical assessment and its use must be preceded by a comprehensive sleep evaluation by a medical provider. This medical evaluation should include an assessment for chronic diseases and conditions that are associated with increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea, including hypertension, stroke, and congestive heart failure.
Comments