Airway Screening Made Easy with the “2-Second Airway Exam”

Airway Health Solutions

No time for Airway Screening? Think again. How about implementing a “2 -Second Airway Exam?”

Dental professionals already screen for oral cancer. The “airway exam” is the same exam!
Put your “airway goggles” on and check for these 5 Clues for Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB).

N – Examine the hard palate. Look for narrow arches, high vault, and pronounced rugae. Occlusal photos/scanning the palate make it easy for patients to visualize lack of tongue space, contributing to SDB.

E & S – When patient is asked to stick out tongue during the OCS, you can also evaluate tonsils and soft palate.

T – When evaluating the floor of the mouth check for ankyloglossia (tongue tie). Check range of motion when asking patient to lift tongue to roof of mouth.

S – When examining the lateral borders of the tongue, check for scalloped tongue.

Here’s another time saving tip: Add “NEST” to your OCS template to easily record your findings.

This pearl is brought to you by Airway Health Solutions. Their 2-Day Mini-Residency with Dr. Ben Miraglia teaches dental professionals how to implement craniofacial growth and development. They also provide full team coaching/doctor mentoring.

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