Building Blocks of Airway-Integrated Dentistry

This full-day introductory course is designed for clinicians looking to build a strong, practical foundation in airway-focused dentistry and the ASAP pathway. Through a combination of pediatric and adult perspectives, hands-on evaluation strategies, and early therapy approaches, attendees will learn how to confidently recognize airway-related concerns and incorporate airway assessment into everyday clinical care.

The program begins with understanding the foundational airway signs—the subtle facial, functional, and intraoral indicators that reveal how a patient breathes, grows, and develops. You’ll learn how these signs show up in both children and adults, how to integrate a focused airway exam into routine visits, and how to communicate airway findings clearly with patients and families.

Building on that foundation, the course covers a structured overview of Pediatric and Adult ASAP, essential imaging and diagnostic aids, and a thorough introduction to sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD/OSA) across the lifespan through OSA: A Lifetime in the Making.

Participants will also receive a practical, dentist-friendly introduction to myofunctional therapy, including early exercises, habit retraining, and prefabricated appliance pathways—especially for children under 5, where early intervention can significantly influence craniofacial growth and airway development.

The day concludes with a clear roadmap outlining ASAP’s levels of learning, next-step training opportunities, and how to integrate airway-focused care into your dental practice with confidence and clarity.

This course is ideal for dentists, hygienists, and team members seeking a comprehensive yet accessible entry point into airway dentistry.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the foundation signs that link facial form, dental structure, and airway function.
2. Perform a systematic airway evaluation during routine dental visits.
3. Understand how airway findings influence growth, sleep, and restorative outcomes.
4. Communicate airway insights effectively with patients and interdisciplinary teams.
5. Understand interdisciplinary treatment options.

Dr. Tracey Nguyen

Dr. Tracey Nguyen maintains a private practice 30 minutes outside of Washington, DC in Northern Virginia. In 2015, she was accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. In 2016, she was honored with Top 25 Women in Dentistry by Dental Products Magazine. Also in 2016, she finished her graduate training at the prestigious Kois Center in Seattle, Washington.

She is one of the key opinion leaders in the Wellness Dentistry Network. This organization was founded by Dr. Doug Thompson. The focus of this organization is to merge the gaps between medicine and dentistry and understand the oral systemic connection.

After attending one of Dr. Jeff Rouse courses, she became increasingly interested in dentistry’s role in managing patients with dental malocclusions that are comorbid with airway and sleep issues. As a visiting faculty mentor at Spear Education, she frequently mentors the Airway Workshop by Dr. Jeff Rouse.

In 2016, she developed the Sleep and Airway Group, a local interdisciplinary group of doctors of various specialities. Her passion to create an awareness of the dental intervention strategies available to her peers and to her community.

In 2020, she co-founded ASAP, Airway, Sleep and Pediatric Pathway. ASAP is an online mini-residency for pediatric dental sleep medicine.

It is no secret that she has an exceptional breadth of knowledge of Pediatric Airway Management. In 2021, she was honored as the Scientific Advisor for the prestigious advanced dental education center, the Kois Center.

In 2024, she achieved her diplomate status with the American Academy of Dental Sleep medicine, widely recognized as the gold standard for excellence in dental sleep medicine.

She speaks all over the world and is currently in the Seattle Study Club curriculum. This program has over 150 study clubs worldwide.

Her social media platform brings clinicians all over the world together for a common cause. Her mission is to develop a better understanding for the complexities of the disease and bring like minded professions together to co-diagnose and treat.

Dr. Michelle Weddle

Looking back on it, Michelle now realizes that her journey in airway actually started during her childhood. She was constantly sick with sore throats and ear infections. Her mother, also a dentist, tells her stories about how difficult it was for her to go to sleep and stay asleep. During her teenage years, she struggled with daily headaches and issues sleeping.

When she had children of her own she experienced what her mother must have gone through. Michelle’s son would also wake up numerous times in the middle of the night. By this time, she had taken several adult dental sleep medicine courses and had identified that her parents, including mom the dentist, had sleep apnea. She had seen firsthand the genetic tendency of airway issues, recognized the manifestation in her family, and started seeing the same things in her patients.

She also knew first-hand how much health and quality of life can be improved when these issues are addressed. She has always been fascinated by the interconnections between medicine and dentistry and has spent her entire career seeking knowledge in these areas. Driven by the need to find answers for her own parents, children, and herself she spent the last 13 years studying dental sleep medicine, orthodontics, TMJ disorders, craniofacial pain, and other airway-related topics, applying what she has learned not only to help her family but also her patients.

Michelle is a passionate teacher, honoring her many mentors by sharing knowledge just as they have shared with her. She has presented to study clubs, associations, dentists, physicians, auxiliaries, and the general public. She is a believer in collaborative care and is a member of the GOTHAM Collaborative (Growth Airway TMJ Health and Airway Management), which brings together dentists, physicians, therapists, and other auxiliaries in order to help people. In addition to clinical training, Michelle is a big believer in business systems and business coaching. As such, she tries to study best practices in order to focus and constantly improve her own practice’s business approach.

Her airway journey has included:

• Earning board certification (Diplomate) in dental sleep medicine from the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine
• Straightwire, clear aligner, functional and interceptive orthodontics, Growth appliance, and Controlled Arch
• Trained in myofunctional therapy and various appliance systems that aid in myofunctional therapy Courses at Dawson, Pankey, Kois, and Spear. Airway Prosthodontics mentor at Spear.
• Member of AADSM, AACP, IAO
• Founding member of Spencer Study Club, Member of Spencer Study Club Business Elite
• Sleep hygiene, mindfulness, and other practices that could improve sleep quality and enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
• The effect of lifestyle changes including nutrition, diet, and exercise in order to improve airway function.