Have a question?
Send enquiry
Message sent Close

SICAT Air – 3D Airway Analysis, Patient Communication & Treatment Planning

Teacher
SICAT
Category:
Sleep Medicine

Learn in this course how to analyze an airway, giving you crucial clues about a potential patient risk from respiratory issues such as snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Using the software’s visualization options, you will be able to explain the issue to the patient and create a personal handout that the patient can use for further clarification by a sleep physician, if necessary.

After this course, you will also know how to order the patient-individual therapeutic appliance SICAT OPTISLEEP with high wearing comfort.

Contents

  • How to get started with SICAT Air
  • How to analyze the airway
  • How to edit airway segmentation
  • How to customize sensitivity
  • How to compare airways
  • How to use the software for patient consultation
  • How to order the treatment appliance SICAT OPTISLEEP

Target Group

Clinicians working in dental sleep medicine who want to perform a 3D analysis of the patient’s airway for targeted treatment with an oral appliance as well as descriptive patient education.

Last Update: 2022-08-31

For the CBCT scan used for the analysis of the upper airway, center the patient’s chin on the chinrest and stabilize the patient’s head. The patient should gently bite onto a bite stick or some cotton rolls without cramping. The tongue should lie loosely on the palate. Please select the appropriate exposure setting to show the airway.
For the second CBCT scan, used to fabricate the OPTISLEEP with the patient in therapeutic position, the patient should carefully bite on a George Gauge bite fork with registration material which brings him in a therapeutic position. Center the patient using the chin rest to stabilize the patient’s head.
Please note it is important not to cut off any dentition in this CBCT.
No, you don’t have to take two CBCT scans. Two CBCT’s allow for an airway comparison and show your patient how the treatment with OPTISLEEP will open the airway.
If you want to proceed without two CBCT scans just conduct a CBCT scan with the patient in therapeutic position as indicated by using your choice of bite fork, e.g. the George Gauge
In order to capture the airway, the recommended minimal volume size is 11×10. It is not mandatory to capture the airway or the TMJ for fabrication of the OPTISLEEP. To order an OPTISLEEP appliance without analysis of the upper airway, a volume size of 8×8 is sufficient but it is required to capture the entire dentition for fabrication of the OPTISLEEP.
Center the patient in the CBCT machine using the chin rest to stabilize the patient. Instruct your patient to breath normally and rest his/her tongue loosely at the palate behind the anterior teeth without swallowing during the capture phase.
- SICAT Air Software
- 3D CBCT system (note volume depending on use, OPTISLEEP order min 8×8, airway analysis min 10×11)
- George Gauge or other bite fork with determination of the degree of protrusion and as bite block for the CBCT scan
- Optical scans of entire upper and lower jaw or latest stone models sent to our laboratory
All optical data in stl, ssi or sixd format can be imported into SICAT Air.
OPTISLEEP can be used to relieve snoring and mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (AHI values between 5 and 29). In certain cases, the OPTISLEEP can also be used for more severe cases of OSA especially if the patient is intolerant of the CPAP.
The AHI stands for apnea-hypopnea index. This index indicates the severity of the sleep apnea and is calculated from the number of nocturnal breathing pauses of the patient longer than 10 seconds within one hour. It is determined in the course of the sleep study examination. All therapeutic appliances represent long-term treatment and must therefore be worn every night.
If the symptoms do not improve with other interventions, this may be the case for the rest of the patient’s life.
The SICAT OPTISLEEP workflow is described on the OPTISLEEP page of this website as well as in our manual. The manual is available for download in the download area as well as on www.optisleep.com.
Add to Wishlist
Get course
Enrolled: 34 students
Lectures: 7
Level: Beginner