Lecture Objectives:
- Recognize the clinical signs of oral dysfunction and sleep-disordered breathing through extraoral and intraoral screening.
- Understand the hygienist’s role in identifying airway-related concerns and initiating conversations around sleep and function.
- Learn practical, in-scope interventions and referral strategies to support airway health and patient outcomes.
Mouth breathing, restless sleep, scalloped tongues, and narrow palates aren’t just incidental findings—they’re red flags. Flags that dental hygienists are uniquely positioned to identify as early signs of oral dysfunction and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) that may otherwise go unnoticed.
With an emphasis on clinical screening and practical tools, this lecture will empower you to go beyond the traditional clinical screening and into the realm of whole-body health. You'll learn how to assess oral musculature, recognize structural and functional red flags, and engage in meaningful conversations that can change the trajectory of your patients’ lives. You’ll leave this session with tools to screen, support, and intervene as an airway hygienist—because when we understand the airway, hygiene becomes life-saving work.