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 LinkedIn

Happy Health LinkedIn

Email Crystal May:  Crystal@oralowl.com

CHAPTERS: 📚

00:00 Welcome to ASAP Pathway with Crystal May

02:44 Crystal’s 20-Year Journey Into Dental Sleep Medicine

05:33 The Sleep Course That Changed Everything

06:24 Why Sleep Medicine Is So Difficult to Implement