2026 SEC conference digital syllabus

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The syllabus for the SEC 2026 conference is provided in a digital format. All of the lecture notes are in PDF format and can be launched from this page. If you need to download Adobe Reader, click here.

This course establishes the framework for enhancing collaboration between dental and medical professionals, using didactic and clinical educational methods, in the diagnosis and management of patients with sleep disorders. It will become clear how the dentist can play a large role in the overall health of these patients.

During this three-day, comprehensive course, the dentist will gain the knowledge needed to address patients' sleep concerns. Dentists and staff attending this conference will become educated on the broad spectrum of sleep disorders on a basic-level and learn, in a more detailed fashion, about sleep-related breathing disorders. The dentist will gain knowledge that will help when screening for sleep disorders or providing guidance to patients who need proper medical care, by physician colleagues, for sleep disturbances.

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Day 1: April 23, 2026

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

The Basics of Understanding Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Its Relationship to Dentistry, by Jerald H. Simmons, MD

(PDF - The Basics of OSA)

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

The Dentist's Approach to the Airway Exam and How to Use it to Select the Most Effective Therapy for Each Patient, by Rob Veis, DDS

(PDF - The Dentist's Approach to Airway)

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Break – Sponsored Exhibits

10:15 AM - 11:00 AM

TMD/Oral Facial Pain and the Connection with Airway Centric Dentistry, by Ronald S. Prehn, ThM, DDS

(PDF - TMD Oral Facial Pain)

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

The Intra Oral / Dental TMJ Exam and Myofunctional Exam, by SEC Faculty

(PDF - Intra Oral / Dental TMJ)

11:30 AM - 11:45 AM

The Importance of the Construction Bite for Successful Appliance Therapy, by Ronald S. Prehn, ThM, DDS

(PDF - Construction Bite)

11:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Intro to the Pediatric Exam and Palatial Growth, by Kevin Boyd, DDS

(PDF - Intro to Pediatric Exam)

12:00 PM - 01:00 PM

LUNCH - Sponsored Exhibits

1:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Head to the 20th Floor to Prepare for the Breakout Sessions

1:15 PM - 4:30 PM

Four Breakout Sessions – Each 45 Minutes

Making a Construction Bite, and Boil & Bite Appliances – by Ronald S. Prehn, ThM, DDS
Managing Oral Appliances from First Presentation Through the Titration and Making a Morning Re-Aligner – Rob Veis, DDS and Steven Lamberg, DDS
Screening Airway Exam from Children to Adults – by Jerald H. Simmons, MD (Maggie Lavender, MSN, RN, FNP-C*) and Kevin Boyd, DDS (Loria Nahatis, DDS*)
Pre-Appliance/TMD for Indications & Contradictions for Oral Appliances and Myofunctional Exams – by SBruno Frazao Gribel, DDS and Ahmet Keles, DDS, DMSc, and Samantha Weaver, M.S. CCC-SLP and Nicole Goldfarb M.A., CCC-SLP, COM

Special Instructions to follow.

* Special thanks to those who assisted with the breakout sessions!

4:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Break – Sponsored Exhibits

4:45 PM - 5:30 PM

Identifying and Managing Complications of Oral Appliances, by Steve Carstensen, DDS

(PDF - Identifying and Managing Complications)

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM

The Workflow to Achieve Successful OSA Therapy in the Dental Office- from Laboratory Communication to Collaborative Care, by Jerald H. Simmons, MD; Rob Veis, DDS

(PDF - Workflow to Achieve Successful OSA Therapy)

Day 2: April 24, 2026

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

The Physiology of Sleep and Its Links to ADD/ADHD, Sleepwalking, Daytime Sleepiness and More, by Jerald H. Simmons, MD

(PDF - House Keeping Issues and The Physiology of Sleep)

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Full Spectrum of OSA: From Infant to Elderly – Cardiovascular to Neurologic Consequences and The New Approaches to Management, by Jerald H. Simmons, MD

(PDF - Full Spectrum of OSA)

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Break – Sponsored Exhibits

10:30 AM - 11:15 AM

Oral Surgery for Tx of OSA, by David Alfi, MD, DDS

(PDF - Oral Surgery for TX)

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Narcolepsy and Central Nervous System Disorders Causing Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, by Maggie Lavender, FNP

(PDF - Narcolepsy and CNS)

12:00 PM - 01:00 PM

LUNCH – Sponsored Exhibits

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

Childhood and Adolescents Sleep Disorders Update, by Rafael Pelayo, MD

(PDF - Childhood and Adolescents)

1:45 PM - 2:30 PM

Maternal and Fetal Implications of Sleep Disturbances in Pregnancy, by Louise O'Brien, PhD

(PDF - Maternal and Fetal Implications)

2:30 PM - 3:15 PM

Controversies Surrounding The Significance and Management of Mouth Breathing and Sleep Related Breathing Disturbances in Children, by Michael DeLuke, DDS

(PDF - Controversies Surrounding Mouth Breathing)

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM

Break – Sponsored Exhibits

3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

Begin the Fix Before Age 6: Users Guide to Early Intervention Orthodontics / Dentofacial Orthopedics, by Kevin Boyd, DDS

(PDF - Fix Before Six)

4:15 PM - 5:00 PM

60 Year Journey of Palatal Expansion: Evidence-Based, Data Informed Evolution of Airway, Palatal Expansion Protocols and Future Directions, by Ahmet Keles, DDS, DMSc

(PDF - 60 Year Journey)

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Restless Legs Syndrome and Sleep Related Movements, by Jerald H. Simmons, MD

(PDF - Restless Legs Syndrome)

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Q&A: Panel Session, by SEC Sleep Conference Faculty

Day 3: April 25, 2026

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Understanding the Results of Sleep Studies From the Home to the Lab, and the Use of Remote Patient Monitoring, by Jerald H. Simmons, MD

(PDF - Understanding the Results of Sleep Studies)

9:00 AM - 9:45 AM

Use of Direct Printed Appliances to Treat Pediatric Patients with Sleep-Related Breathing Disturbances, by Bruno Frazao Gribel, DDS

(PDF - Direct Printed Appliances)

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM

Oral Appliance Therapy Overview: Combination Therapy with PAP and the Use of Nightly Monitoring to Optimize Care, by Rob Veis, DDS

(PDF - Oral Appliance Therapy)

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM

Break – Sponsored Exhibits

10:45 AM - 11:15 AM

The Nose Knows How the Sleep Goes, by Christopher M. Tran, MD

(PDF - The Nose Knows)

11:15 AM - 11:45 AM

From the Nose to Tongue-Base : Beyond DISE for Inspire Candidacy, by Stanley Liu, MD, DDS, FACS

(PDF - Nose to Tongue-Base)

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM

The Critical Role of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in the Treatment of Sleep-Disordered Breathing: Thinking Beyond Monotherapy – How Myofunctional Therapy Supports Craniofacial Growth and Integrates with Orthodontics, CPAP, Oral Appliances, Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation, and Comprehensive Airway Care, by Nicole Goldfarb M.A., CCC-SLP, COM

(PDF - Critical Role of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy)

12:30 PM - 01:30 PM

LUNCH – Sponsored Exhibits

1:30 PM - 2:15 PM

Structure Meets Function: Integrating Myofunctional Therapy with MMA Surgery for Lasting Airway Change, by Samantha Weaver, M.S. CCC-SLP

(PDF - Myofunctional Therapy with MMA)

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM

Parasomnias Can Kill: The Facts Behind Abnormal Behaviors During Sleep, by Jerald H. Simmons, MD

(PDF - Parasomnias Can Kill)

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

“Doc, I Can’t Sleep!” – Unpacking the Complexity of “INSOMNIA” to Understand the Systematic Approaches That Can Lead to a Better Night’s Sleep, by Dave McCarty, MD, FAASM

(PDF - Doc I Can't Sleep)

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM

Break – Sponsored Exhibits

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM

Exploring Zepbound® (Tirzepatide) Injection with a Clinical Expert, by Funke Afolabi-Brown, MD, FAASM

(PDF - Exploring Zepbound)

4:45 PM - 5:30 PM

Sleep and AI: How Sleep Testing Opens a Window into a Patient’s Future Health, by Jatin Tekchandani, MSBME, R. EEG T., RPSGT

(PDF - Sleep and AI)

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Q&A: Panel Session, by SEC Sleep Conference Faculty

Additional Reference Information:

Additional Bonus Videos:

Reference Information NOT Included on the Conference Thumb Drive:

About the Digital Syllabus

Going GREEN!!! No Paper!!! It's all thumbs up with the SEC Conference Thumb Drive!

The course syllabus is provided on a thumb drive for all attendees. Upon check in, each attendee should have received a USB thumb drive with all lecture notes. Power is available at each seat, so battery limitations will not be an issue. The lectures are in PDF file format and are launched from a file, on the thumb drive, into a web browser (e.g., Chrome or Internet Explorer).
PLEASE NOTE: All of the content provided within the thumb drive is owned by the respective authors and protected by copyright laws.

These slides are only for educational use by the attendees. They are not to be reproduced for any other purpose without permission from the presentation author. Reproduction without consent is plagiarism. Please respect this limitation. Inquiries for use of provided materials typically are received positively and granted with the stipulation of the original author receiving proper acknowledgment.

Thank you.