DENTAL
Sleep in the Dental Chair Stacey Quo, DDS, MS has made it her passion to help patients who might never know they have a sleep disorder, find rest. By Wendi Kitsteiner
S
ometimes you discover sleep disorders in the most unlikely of places. Like the orthodontist’s office. Dr. Stacey Quo began her orthodontic career in 1994 in Palo Alto, California. She found herself interested in sleep medicine after a chance encounter with a patient who had undiagnosed severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). That encounter—just four years into her career as an orthodontist—was an adult male patient who was falling asleep during his short, ten-minute appointments. When Dr. Quo inquired about his sleeping habits, the patient 4 | healthiersleepmag.com
mentioned he was a college professor and would need to nap between his lectures. She referred him to a sleep study and was blown away by the results. “His case is so vivid in my memory because his oxygen saturation dropped to 54% and his Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) was 59.6.” AHI refers to the number of abnormal breathing events per hour of sleep. Mild levels are 5 to 14; 15 to 30 is moderate; greater than 30 is severe and this patient was experiencing nearly 60. Because of his dangerously low oxygen level, they stopped the study and placed a CPAP on him for the rest of the night.
MEETING A SLEEP PIONEER As Dr. Quo moved forward with this patient’s treatment plan, she was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Christian Guilleminault, a French physician and a pioneer in the field of sleep medicine at the Stanford Sleep Clinic. Dr. Guilleminault, who passed away in 2019, is known for coining the term obstructive sleep apnea. Under Dr. Guilleminault’s mentorship, Dr. Quo learned about sleep physiology. She also began recognizing sleep disorders in her own family. “I am so very grateful for his education, as it allowed me to better help care for my family to improve their longevity and
