Our Care Process
At Dr. Walter Heidary General Dentist we take an information-based approach to evaluating and diagnosing a wide range of factors that might be affecting the quality of your sleep. This includes directly related sleep disorders like snoring or sleep apnea, other general health disorders, as well as behavioral factors and lifestyle influences.
Unlike with OHIP affiliated centres, patients are not required to receive a formal referral from an MD in order to receive a second opinion from our clinic. We let our patients take their health into their own hands, and come directly to us.
If you’re interested to learn how we help patients achieve deep, fulfilling sleep, please review our care process below.
7 Step Process
1) Patient Identification
The path to deep and restful sleep begins with the patient’s identification of a potential issue. Often this is not automatically associated with a lack of sleep. If you are noticing any of the following, you might be experiencing an inadequate level of sleep.
- Identification of snoring or breathing issues while sleeping
- Exhaustion
- Trouble concentrating
- Emotional imbalances or mood swings
- Headaches
Keep in mind that many patients who are experiencing a sleep deficiency are not simply in need of more hours in bed. The focus here is on the quality of sleep. Your head might be on the pillow for 8 hours, but if the sleep is of low quality, it will affect you just as much as a deficit in quantity of sleep hours.
2) Primary Care Provider
At Dr. Walter Heidary General Dentist, we work with your primary care provider to gain as much information about your general health as possible.
Your primary care provider will perform a variety of testing for things such as diabetes, history of stroke, hypertension, cardiovascular health, and more. We will then reference this information as we perform our own sleep specific examinations.
3) Sleep Screening
Once at our office, we will perform our own detailed testing and examinations. This will include things such as:
- Social history
- Medical history
- Physical assessment
- Imaging (x-ray, MRI, etc. – if required)
4) At Home Sleep Study
Part of our examination process will also include a sleep study, which is completed in the comfort of your own home. We will fully educate you on our monitoring devices, which will provide us with vital information as to your behaviour while you sleep. See here for more information on our Sleep Study.
5) Diagnosis
Once we’ve gathered and analyzed the information from your medical history, our in-office testing and sleep study, a medical doctor will then make a medical diagnosis as to what negative factors are affecting your sleep.
6) Treatment
After your diagnosis, we will recommend which treatment options are available to you. Some of these solutions can be provided at our office, like oral appliances for example, but more specialized procedures such as CPAP machine treatment or surgery will be referred to a specialist. For more information, please visit our Treatment Options page.
7) Follow-Up
We will perform all the necessary follow-up and coaching, confirming the success of your treatment.
If you think you might be experiencing a sleep deficiency, or a degraded quality of sleep, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Remember, unlike with OHIP covered centres, you do not need a referral, and can visit us directly.
We look forward to meeting you, and bringing you one step closer to the deep, restful sleep you deserve.