Presented by: Susan Woodley, RDH

From Just a Cleaning to Life Saving Screening – The Dental Hygienist Role in Sleep Disordered Breathing

CE Hours: 3

Online Dates:

Part 1: Thursday, September 17th - 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST

Part 2: Thursday, September 24th - 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST

Can’t attend live? No problem! All sessions are recorded and automatically uploaded to your rdhu Members Portal within 2–3 days — no need to request access. You'll receive immediate access to the portal, post-test quiz, and certificate right after the course. Recordings remain available for 30 days.

Course Description:

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is far more than a nighttime concern, it is a whole-body condition with profound physiological, psychological, and emotional consequences. From Just a Cleaning to Life Saving Screening equips dental hygienists with the knowledge, clinical awareness, and communication strategies needed to identify SDB risks from infancy through geriatric care.

This course traces the historical evolution of sleep medicine, explores the anatomical and developmental factors that contribute to airway compromise, and examines the cascading effects of disrupted sleep on systemic health, behavior, cognition, and quality of life. Participants will learn to recognize subtle and overt symptoms that often present chairside, understand the interdisciplinary nature of airway focused care, and integrate practical screening approaches into everyday dental hygiene appointments.

By reframing routine preventive care as an opportunity for early detection, dental hygienists become pivotal contributors to life changing and sometimes life saving interventions.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Recognize the key oral, behavioral, and developmental signs of sleep‑disordered breathing across all ages.
Explain how airway dysfunction affects systemic, cognitive, and emotional health throughout the lifespan.
Integrate efficient, evidence‑based airway screening into routine dental hygiene appointments.
Communicate airway concerns to patients using clear, empathetic, and action‑oriented language.
Identify appropriate referral pathways and collaborative solutions within dentistry and medicine to support patient outcomes.