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Sleep Matters Podcast

Sleep Matters Podcast

By: Dr. Erin Elliott and Jason Tierney
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Sleep Matters is a mocktail of snarky honesty and straight talk in dental sleep medicine you’ve been looking for. We jump on the grenades most professionals avoid, from medical and dental turf wars and insurance headaches to calling out the latest industry “snake oil.” Sit down with movers, shakers, and iconoclasts as we dive into the clinical and political issues that keep dentists up at night. You’ll learn. You’ll laugh. And you’ll actually look forward to the next episode. SLEEP MATTERS©Sleep Matters Podcast Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Parkinson’s, Practice Transition, & Discovering a New Path in Dental Sleep Medicine with Dr. Craig Harder

    Parkinson’s, Practice Transition, & Discovering a New Path in Dental Sleep Medicine with Dr. Craig Harder
    May 27 2026

    In this episode, Dr. Craig Harder joins Dr. Erin Elliott and Jason Tierney to talk about the kind of career shift most dentists hope they never have to face, but every practice owner should be prepared for.

    After nearly 30 years in private practice, Dr. Harder was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The diagnosis changed his timeline, his relationship with clinical dentistry, and the way he thought about identity, ownership, retirement, and what comes next.

    Our hosts explore what happens when dentistry is not just your job, but a major part of who you are. Dr. Harder shares what it felt like to sit in his car after receiving the diagnosis, how he moved from panic to planning, and how dental sleep medicine gave him a way to keep using his clinical mind when his hands could no longer carry the same load.

    This episode is especially valuable for dentists who are nearing a transition, considering a shift in their schedule, dabbling in sleep medicine, or avoiding the hard planning conversations around disability, retirement, practice value, and life outside the operatory.

    What’s on the Menu:

    A Real Career Transition Story: Dr. Harder shares how he built a successful practice in Moses Lake, Washington, after purchasing it in 1996 and spending nearly 30 years in private practice.

    The Diagnosis That Changed the Timeline: He walks through the early hand tremor, the essential tremor diagnosis, and the eventual Parkinson’s diagnosis that forced him to rethink how long he could continue practicing.

    When Dentistry Becomes Your Identity: Dr. Harder talks honestly about what it feels like to lose the version of yourself that was known as “the dentist” in your community.

    The Three Emotional Stages After Diagnosis: He describes moving from selfishness to panic over his family and team, to finally accepting the diagnosis.

    Why Sleep Medicine Became the Bridge: As hand skills became less reliable, Dr. Harder began shifting toward dental sleep medicine, telemedicine, sleep study review, and patient education.

    The Difference Between Dabbling and Going All In: Dr. Harder reflects on his earlier attempt to “half-ass” sleep medicine and why the field requires systems, commitment, and real ownership.

    What Practice Owners Should Prepare Now: The episode highlights the importance of keeping a practice ready to sell, maintaining strong systems, updating equipment, training the team, and protecting the people who depend on the business.

    Why Financial Safety Nets Matter: Dr. Harder discusses disability insurance, long-term care insurance, wills, investments, and the painful reality of realizing too late that some options are no longer available.

    Living Before Retirement: One of the strongest themes in the episode is not waiting until 65 to take the trip, write the book, coach your kids, or make time for the things that bring you joy.

    Professional Organizations & Collaboration:

    Star Sleep & Wellness: Dr. Harder discusses joining Dr. Kent Smith’s team and moving into a structured dental sleep medicine environment.

    The Big Idea:

    Do not wait for a diagnosis, retirement, or crisis to start planning your next chapter.

    Dr. Harder’s story is a reminder that dentistry can become deeply tied to identity, but life can change the timeline without asking permission. The dentists who protect themselves best are the ones who build strong systems, plan early, care for their health, and create a life that is not postponed until “someday.”
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    39 mins
  • Blame the Patient. That Works Great! With Ryan C. Javanbakht

    Blame the Patient. That Works Great! With Ryan C. Javanbakht
    May 13 2026

    In this episode, Ryan Javanbakht joins Jason Tierney and Dr. Erin Elliott to break down one of the biggest issues in dental sleep medicine: patient follow-through on testing.

    Most practices think they have a testing problem. They don’t; they have a communication problem.

    Patients drop off because they don’t fully understand why it matters, what happens next, or what it will cost. Without that clarity, even motivated patients hesitate and disappear.

    Sleep testing is the inflection point. It’s where patients either connect the dots and commit, or get confused and disappear. Clarity creates momentum. Confusion kills it.

    What’s on the Menu:

    Why Patients Drop Out of the Funnel
    Ryan breaks down the real failure points: unclear communication, a lack of urgency around the problem, and poor expectation-setting regarding process and cost. When those pieces are missing, drop-off is inevitable.

    The “Magical” Moment: Diagnosis
    Dr. Elliott highlights the moment everything clicks, when patients see their results and connect the data to how they feel. That’s when urgency builds, motivation increases, and cost becomes less of a barrier.

    Why Communication Beats Technology
    Tools don’t drive case acceptance; conversations do. Patients move forward when they feel heard, understand the process, and know what to expect at each step.

    The Two-Option Close That Works
    Ryan shares a simple framework: give patients two clear paths, a traditional referral or an immediate home sleep test. Clear options reduce hesitation and increase follow-through.

    Why Dental Patients Resist
    Dental patients aren’t expecting a sleep conversation; they’re expecting a cleaning. That mismatch creates friction. The solution is to slow down, separate consults, and build trust before making recommendations.

    How to Handle Objections Effectively
    Ryan outlines a simple structure: empathize, clarify, isolate, respond. It keeps conversations human and builds trust instead of pressure.

    The Power of “Selling the Next Step”
    Dr. Elliott emphasizes a key shift: don’t sell treatment. Don’t even sell the test. Focus on the next step. That’s how momentum builds without overwhelming the patient.

    Why Patients Need to “Want It”
    The goal isn’t compliance, it’s ownership. When patients reach the point of “I want this” and “I need this,” moving forward becomes natural.

    Clinical Concepts & Terminology

    Home Sleep Test (HST)
    A diagnostic tool that allows patients to test for sleep apnea at home, improving accessibility and completion rates.

    Sleep Testing Funnel
    The patient journey from awareness to treatment. Breakdowns at any stage reduce overall case acceptance.

    Conversion Rate
    The gap between patients referred for testing and those who actually complete it is a key measure of system effectiveness.

    STOP-BANG Screening
    A widely used screening tool to identify patients at risk for sleep apnea.

    Professional Organizations & Collaboration

    Third-Party Testing Partnerships
    Services like SleepTest.com help streamline insurance verification, patient communication, test completion, and physician review—reducing friction across the process.

    Featured Experts to Follow
    Ryan C. Javanbakht: CEO of SleepTest.com, focused on improving access and conversion in sleep diagnostics

    Recommended Tools & Resources

    STOP-BANG Questionnaire
    A simple way to begin identifying patients at risk for sleep apnea.

    Home Sleep Testing (HST)
    A patient-friendly diagnostic option that improves follow-through.

    SleepTest CRM
    A platform designed to manage patient communication, insurance verification, test coordination, and reporting.

    Communication Frameworks
    Empathize → Clarify → Isolate → Respond
    Two-option close strategy
    Consult-first workflow
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    47 mins
  • The Wake-Up Call You Can’t Ignore: Pediatric Airway Awareness & Early Expansion with Dr. Johnny Ukich

    The Wake-Up Call You Can’t Ignore: Pediatric Airway Awareness & Early Expansion with Dr. Johnny Ukich
    Apr 29 2026
    In this episode, Jason Tierney and Dr. Erin Elliott talk with Dr. Johnny Ukich about the slow shift from focusing mainly on cavities and traditional pediatric care to recognizing the early signs of sleep-disordered breathing in kids.What does it take for a busy pediatric dentist to start seeing airway differently?For Dr. Ukich, that shift didn’t come from one lecture or a EUREKA! moment. It came through years of conversations, his father’s background in early orthodontic thinking, and eventually what he began noticing in his own child. Once the pieces connected, he started seeing open-mouth breathing, snoring, bedwetting, poor sleep quality, and arch development in a completely different light.This is a grounded conversation for dentists who may not feel ready to treat every airway case, but do need to know what to look for. Dr. Ukich makes the case that awareness alone can change lives, especially when it leads to earlier questions, better screening, and stronger collaboration.What’s on the Menu:A Real Conversion Story: Dr. Ukich shares how airway was not part of his early training and how it took years in practice before the dots finally connected.Why Personal Experience Changed Everything: Like many clinicians, the turning point came when he began seeing these patterns in his own child and could no longer dismiss them as isolated issues.What Early Treatment Started to Reveal: Once he began expanding earlier, he saw changes parents could notice quickly, including better nasal breathing, less bedwetting, and improved sleep.Screen Even If You Don’t Treat: One of the clearest takeaways is that pediatric dentists do not need every tool or every service in-house, but they do need to recognize the signs and start the conversation.How He Talks to Parents Without Sounding “Salesy”: Dr. Ukich focuses on sleep quality, growth, and what parents are actually seeing at home rather than jumping straight into treatment.Why This Has to Be a Team Approach: The episode highlights the need for collaboration with orthodontists, ENTs, lactation consultants, myofunctional therapists, and other providers.The Value Add:It Makes Pediatric Airway Feel Practical: This episode shows what early airway awareness can look like in a real pediatric office, not just in theory.It Reminds Providers They Can Start Smaller: Dr. Ukich makes it clear that simply asking better questions and knowing when to refer can make a real difference.Clinical Concepts & TerminologyPediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ): A screening tool Dr. Ukich uses to identify symptoms that may point to sleep-disordered breathing.Early Expansion: Discussed as a way to support arch development, nasal breathing, and better sleep patterns when started young enough.Myobrace: A removable appliance mentioned as part of habit correction and functional development, especially around breathing and oral posture.Myofunctional Therapy: Referenced as part of follow-up care to help children use their lips, tongue, and oral muscles more effectively after expansion.Acoustic Rhinometry: A tool Dr. Ukich uses to help measure nasal capacity and airway function.Tongue-Tie Release: Discussed in the context of infant feeding, latch, and early oral development.Professional Organizations & CollaborationAAPD Guidelines: Dr. Ukich and Dr. Elliott discuss the importance of pediatric dentistry guidelines now addressing airway screening and treatment more directly.Collaborative Pediatric Airway Care: The conversation emphasizes working with orthodontists, ENTs, lactation consultants, craniofacial chiropractors, and myofunctional therapists rather than trying to solve everything alone.Featured Experts to FollowDr. Johnny Ukich: A pediatric dentist sharing a practical perspective on how airway awareness changed the way he screens and treats children.Dr. Erin Elliott: Co-host of the episode and one of the early voices who helped push this conversation forward in her community.Dr. Boyd Simpkins: Mentioned in the episode as another pediatric dentist involved in this space.Recommended Tools & ReadingGasp: The book Dr. Ukich credits as the moment everything clicked for him.Breath by James Nestor: A recommended read for clinicians who want a more accessible entry point into breathing and airway concepts.Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ): A practical screening resource for identifying airway-related symptoms in children.Myobrace: Mentioned as a tool for encouraging better breathing habits and oral function.CO2 Laser: Discussed as a valuable tool for infant tongue-tie releases because of comfort, speed, and healing.
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    35 mins
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