Dental Sleep Medicine Mini-Residency for the PDS® Dentist

Robyn Woidtke

MSN, RN, CCSH, RPSGT, FAAST

Robyn Woidtke MSN-Ed, RN, RPSGT, CCSH, FAAST. Robyn became enamored by the emerging field of sleep medicine in 1985. She worked a variety of roles within the sleep clinic, including conducting overnight sleep studies and administrative oversight. She also was part of a team that conducted SIDS research at Stanford.

She transitioned her research knowledge and understanding to work in the medical device industry, specifically with sleep-related products. She managed clinical research projects and worked with marketing teams to develop educational programs and patient-centered materials.

She has authored numerous publications, book chapters, and research-focused abstracts. She lectures on a variety of sleep-related topics. She is a sleep and medical device industry consultant, the editor of Sleep World Magazine, and the principal at Sleep for Nurses, a sleep-focused educational endeavor specifically developed for practicing nurses. She holds a master’s degree in nursing education and a BSHS in clinical research administration.

Robyn also loves to volunteer and is on the Board of Directors for the California Sleep Society.

Why Sleep Medicine?

“Sleep medicine is important to the health and well-being of a person and public health. I just really love and have loved being a part of this field.”

Jagdeep Bijwadia

MD

Dr Bijwadia is a is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary and sleep medicine. His interest in Sleep medicine initially was stimulated by the close links between pulmonary disease and sleep disorders and later strengthened by the increasing evidence that sleep health impacts almost every other medical disorder.

Passionate about reducing barriers to sleep apnea care, he is founder and CEO of a national sleep telemedicine practice (SleepMedRx) serving all 50 US states. The state-of-the-art telemedicine platform transforms the patient’s journey from sleep diagnosis to prescription from its current complexity to becoming accessible and affordable. Partners include Amerigas, Lincare, Philips, Zoll, Virtuox and many dental and medical practices.

He has extensive experience in the MedTech startup space and is currently chief medical officer at Sleepiz. He has previously been in Advisory or Chief Medical Officer positions at SomnoMed, Whole You, Beddr, Ectosense and Apnex Medical.

Past experience also includes directing the sleep program at the University of Minnesota for several years. Dr Bijwadia has been named top doc by the Minneapolis magazine as well as US News and World Report and is a sought after national and international speaker. He served as president for the Minnesota Sleep Society from 2016 to 2018 and is active in promoting sleep health in the US. He also has an MBA from the university of St Thomas in Minneapolis.

Ashley Spooner

DDS, D.ABDSM

Dr. Ashley Spooner is a trailblazer in dental sleep medicine, with a passion for providing comprehensive care and improving patient outcomes. Since 2017, Dr. Spooner has been dedicated to addressing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as a general dentist, earning her Diplomate status with the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine in 2020.

Driven by her commitment to collaboration and quality care, Dr. Spooner focuses on uncovering the root causes of inflammation and disease to enhance long-term health outcomes for her patients. Recognizing the urgent need for trained dentists and their teams to participate in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of underdiagnosed OSA patients, she founded Dynamic Dental Sleep, LLC.

At Dynamic Dental Sleep, Dr. Spooner has pioneered efficient and effective integrated workflows that prioritize affordability for the provider and the patient without compromising quality. Drawing from her experience as the owner of a successful group practice in partnership with Pacific Dental Services®, she understands the importance of streamlined processes for both patient care and business growth.

Chris Hurley

Christopher Hurley is the Sleep Medicine Operations Manager and a DDS Trainer under the guidance of Dr. Ashley Spooner. He has worked in the Sleep Medicine field with Dr. Spooner since 2022. Prior to that, he was involved in independent studies in neuroscience and still desires to continue his education in that field having already accomplished his associate degree in science. Chris’ passion for sleep medicine has evolved from the fact that healthy, quality sleep is essential for a properly functioning nervous system. His hope is that by helping guide and inform others, that we can collaborate to help our communities move toward a healthier state that is more informed and impacts the well-being of people overall. One of the things he loves about treating OSA is helping patients in every aspect of life – finances, systemic health, mental and emotional health, and even in the health of their personal relationships! Each of these things are negatively impacted by untreated OSA. Chris is responsible for patient care and education, team member training, understanding and processing insurance benefits, and ensuring that he had help patients efficiently advance through the screening and treatment process of OSA with oral appliance therapy. He prides himself on transparent communication with patients and his team to help the sleep program be successful while helping patients be healthier and happier.

Lisa Shanks

RDA, DLT

Lisa has over 20 years in the dental field, from lab tech to chairside. In her career, she has covered the gamut from analog to digital, restorative to oral surgery and implants, and prosthetics to sleep appliances. She spent 4 years as a Certified 3Shape TRIOS trainer for Henry Schein Dental; developed protocols for a national Dental Sleep Medicine DSO; and was Clinical Education & Training Manager in the US, Canada and Australia for a medical device company. She is currently Sr. Clinical Sales Rep for Panthera Dental where she supports the sales team and clinicians through training and education. As someone whose quality of life radically improved after being treated for OSA with Oral Appliance Therapy, she is dedicated to helping make a difference in people’s lives through better sleep.