For Physicians: Referring Patients

My name is Dr. Vandervelden and I am a dentist in Zeeland, Michigan. I partner with board-certified sleep physicians to diagnose, treat, and manage obstructive sleep apnea using customized oral appliance therapy, CPAP, or both. I also treat patients with snoring or CPAP intolerance and/or non-compliance. Custom oral appliance therapy is an alternative to CPAP or can be used with CPAP for more effective treatment. I have been trained and certified by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine to provide custom oral appliance therapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea. I have successfully used custom oral appliance therapy to treat many patients with obstructive sleep apnea at my practice. In short, a custom oral appliance positions the lower jaw forward which opens the airway, thereby preventing obstructed breathing during sleep. Oral appliance therapy is recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for treating mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and for patients who cannot tolerate CPAP. Most patients strongly prefer a custom oral appliance over CPAP. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s study on the efficacy of custom oral appliance therapy concluded that therapeutically, custom oral appliance therapy is comparable with CPAP in many cases, in part because adherence is so high. Custom oral appliance therapy is covered by medical insurance including Medicare. I work with all medical insurances and I am a Medicare provider. All associated costs of therapy are discussed upfront with the patient.

I would be happy to evaluate all of your patients who you suspect have sleep apnea so they don’t miss out on this great alternative to CPAP. If it is determined the patient is not a candidate for custom oral appliance therapy but needs a CPAP, my partnering sleep physicians can order and manage CPAP for your patient. Consider referring to my practice for screening, testing, diagnosing, treating, and managing obstructive sleep apnea.

Below you will find a referral form to my practice, literature about custom oral appliance therapy, and patient information handouts that you may print and give to your patients.

If you have any questions about custom oral appliance therapy, my process, or would like additional resources, please do not hesitate to call me at my practice at 616-741- 9035. We can set up a lunch meeting, phone call, or make other arrangements that are convenient for you. My sleep practice, West Michigan CPAP Alternatives, is located inside my dental practice, KV Family Dental in Zeeland, Michigan.

Thank you,

Dr. Vandervelden, DMD