About the lecture

Title: "The Functional Frontline Beyond Screening: A Multidisciplinary Blueprint for Hygiene-Led Airway & Sleep Success. "

Description:

The successful integration of sleep and airway care requires more than just a screening form; it requires an understanding of function. This session is taught by Jen Kirkham RDH-EA, BS, OMT, and currently VP of Clinical Operations of Rebis Health, a multi-specialty medical and airway dental clinic spanning 4 locations across Colorado. Jen shares her framework for building a high-performing airway department. Drawing from wisdom developed while supporting over 2,400 cases, Jen will demonstrate how the hygiene department can lead the charge by identifying functional red flags that others miss. Attendees will learn how to weave myofunctional concepts into the hygiene chair, creating a powerful pathway for patient education, empowerment, oral appliance integration, and long-term systemic health.

Learning Objectives:

• Standardize the Functional Exam: Implement a repeatable hygiene workflow to identify red flags within the standard hygiene appointment.
  
• Master the Medical-Dental Bridge: Utilize specific communication scripts to help patients connect oral function to systemic sleep health, increasing case acceptance for oral appliance therapy.
  
• Optimize Departmental Synergy: Define the roles of the “Executive Hygienist” and the clinical team to ensure a seamless handoff and interdependent workflow.
  
• Leverage Myofunctional Integration: Apply functional therapy protocols to improve patient compliance and long-term outcomes in patients with sleep-disordered breathing.

Conflict of Interest: Employed by Rebis Health, and holds ownership in airVata, an oral appliance company

Speaker Bio: 

Jen Kirkham is a healthcare leader shaped by service, driven by innovation, and committed to a simple idea: every person deserves the chance to breathe fully, sleep deeply, and live freely.

With more than twenty years in dentistry, she began as a clinical hygienist, understanding patient health and tuned into a deeper truth: oral health is foundational to overall wellness.

Her conviction has guided her into expanding into leadership roles, championing integrated care models that unite TMJ, airway, sleep, wellness, and orthodontics with dental professionals on the front lines. She also helped more than 2,800 patients to breathe and sleep better by training dental teams in oral appliance therapy and working chairside in select practices.

A respected educator and strategist, Jen has trained thousands, strengthening the bridge between dentistry and medicine. She lives outside Boise, Idaho, refuels in the outdoors, with music, and as a vocalist with The Pulmonauts.

Ask me about my why: After a sleepless night watching my 9-year-old struggle to breathe, I learned to trust my intuition as both a mother and healthcare provider. Advocating for her and using my clinical skills to address her health, school, and social challenges became the most empowering moment of my life. Within six months, her symptoms reversed, and today she is a thriving young adult. Our family has relied on airway and sleep principles to navigate development and stay connected. After working closely with many patients and providers, I see a universal truth: we all want to breathe well, sleep well, and thrive.