Ep.85, The Least We Can Do: Why Every Dentist Should Be Screening for Sleep, Crystal May

In this episode of the ASAP Pathway Podcast, Dr. Stacy sits down with dental sleep medicine expert Crystal May, Vice President of Dental Sleep Medicine at Happy Sleep, for a wide-ranging conversation about why sleep screening needs to become a routine part of healthcare—and why dentistry may be one of the best places to start.Crystal shares her 20-year journey through dentistry, medical billing, practice ownership, sleep medicine, technology, and implementation. She also shares something much more personal: despite being a young, fit woman who didn’t fit the stereotypical picture of a sleep apnea patient, Crystal was eventually diagnosed with a sleep-related breathing disorder after years of nearly daily headaches. For dental professionals, the message is refreshingly simple: you do not need to build an entire dental sleep medicine program to make a difference. Start by screening. Adding just a few questions to the medical history may identify patients who have been suffering silently for years. They also explore sleep quantity versus sleep quality, hormones and metabolism, simple sleep-hygiene strategies, night-to-night variability in testing, oral appliance therapy, and Crystal’s current work to bridge the longstanding divide between medicine and dentistry.Because better sleep isn't simply about getting through the night. It is about giving the body and brain the opportunity to heal, regulate, recover—and thrive.Crystal May LinkedInHappy Health LinkedInEmail Crystal May:  Crystal@oralowl.comCHAPTERS: 📚00:00 Welcome to ASAP Pathway with Crystal May02:44 Crystal’s 20-Year Journey Into Dental Sleep Medicine05:33 The Sleep Course That Changed Everything06:24 Why Sleep Medicine Is So Difficult to Implement09:44 The Real Problem: Implementation10:36 Why Every Dentist Should Be Screening for Sleep14:16 Sleep Screening Doesn't Have to Be Complicated18:32 Three Questions Dentists Can Start Asking Monday20:58 Crystal’s Daily Headaches—and Her Sleep Apnea Diagnosis23:42 Why “Mild” Sleep Apnea Doesn't Mean Mild Symptoms29:25 How Oral Appliance Therapy Changed Crystal’s Life33:21 Sleep Isn't Wasted Time: Why Quality Sleep Matters37:22 Beyond AHI: RDI, RERAs and Sleep Disorders in Women45:04 Why an Old Negative Sleep Test May Not Tell Today's Story47:53 Sleep Hygiene: Simple Ways to Improve Your Sleep56:25 Bridging Medicine and Dentistry with Happy Sleep59:48 The Problem With One-Night Sleep Testing1:04:06 How Physicians, Dentists and Patients Can Get Involved1:08:04 The Final Call to Action: Just Start Screening1:10:23 Dawn or Dusk? Three Fun Questions with CrystalLearnings: 🎓Sleep screening should become a routine part of dentistry. Dentists and hygienists are uniquely positioned to identify potential sleep problems because they see patients regularly, examine the craniofacial and oral structures, and already collect detailed health histories. Screening does not require building an entire dental sleep medicine practice.Start with three simple questions: tiredness, snoring and headaches. Crystal recommends daytime tiredness, snoring and headaches as easy conversation starters. These common symptoms can help dental teams identify patients who may benefit from further sleep evaluation.Stop normalizing exhaustion. Many people assume being tired, relying on caffeine, waking unrefreshed or living with frequent headaches is simply part of being busy. Crystal's own experience demonstrates how symptoms can become someone's “normal” even when an underlying sleep disorder is contributing to them.Sleep apnea doesn't have a “look.” Crystal did not fit the stereotype of the older, overweight male with sleep apnea. The conversation emphasizes that women, younger people, fit individuals and even children can experience sleep-related breathing disorders—which is why screening should not be based on appearance alone.“Mild” sleep apnea doesn't necessarily mean mild symptoms. A diagnostic category doesn't always reflect how significantly disrupted breathing is affecting someone's quality of life. Patients with so-called mild disease may still experience substantial fatigue, headaches, fragmented sleep and other symptoms.AHI may not tell the whole story—especially in women. Crystal explains that her AHI alone would have fallen within normal limits, while her RDI was in the 16s. Looking at RERAs and breathing disturbances that fragment sleep helped identify what AHI alone would have missed. After treatment, her RDI dropped to approximately two and her