A Paradigm Shift in The Treatment of Pediatric Sleep Apnea‬‭
Joseph Z. Yousefian, DMD, MS

There is a disconnect on how health professionals perceive and treat the causes of upper airway conditions in children. Various comorbidities can result from upper airway conditions, sleep apnea, and oxygen deprivation. This webinar illuminates this critical subject matter by providing unprecedented evidence-based information on the root causes of the problem.

Teledontics, a new interdisciplinary and integrative medical–dental approach for treating sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) in pediatric patients, is emerging rapidly. Practitioners from all specialties of medicine and dentistry can benefit from this integrative and interdisciplinary method to achieving their patients’ overall well-being.

Teledontics holds a promising future for bridging the gap between medicine and clinical dentistry. The recent medical and dental book by CRC Press, titled Pediatric Treatment of Sleep Apnea with Teledontics/Telegnathics, describes the dynamic treatment approaches of Teledontics as emerging therapies that are transforming conventional methods into more precise and preventive ones, potentially reducing the need for drugs and surgery.

Learning Objectives:

• Interdisciplinary, medical, and dental diagnosis of upper airway deficiency and SRBD in pediatrics

• How early is early enough to begin pediatric treatment?

• Early interdisciplinary, medical, and dental treatment guidelines and protocols for prevention, proper management, and treatment of pediatric SRB

Dr. Yousefian graduated from Washington University School of Dental Medicine with postgraduate training in orthodontics, holding a dual Master of Science Degree in Biology and Physical Anthropology from Ohio State University. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and Orthodontics, and he maintains a private practice in Bellevue, Washington. He has collaborated on several research projects, including NIH-funded clinical trials in the airway, open bite, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. He is a lecturer both nationally and internationally, having presented these findings in over 120 presentations.

He has served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Ohio State University and the University of Washington in graduate pedodontics and orthodontics.  Additionally, he is a manuscript and book reviewer for several medical and dental publishing companies, including The Permanente Journal and CRC Press, a part of the Taylor & Francis Group. Dr. Yousefian has served in the Children Airway Screening Taskforce in collaboration with the American Dental Association, American Orthodontic Association, and American Academy of Sleep Medicine; and  he has contributed to over thirty publications in peer-reviewed journals and twelve textbooks.

Volume one of his medical and dental textbook, Pediatric Treatment of Sleep Apnea with Teledontics/Telegnathics, was published in 2025. This innovative approach has been taught to dental and medical practitioners in his study clubs, “Comprehensive Treatment Seminars.”

1 CE credit available to AAPMD members