How I Built a Successful Sleep Apnea Appliance Lab

I have five generations of dentists in my family and my plan was to follow in my family’s footsteps. However, during college I began working as a dental assistant where I learned how to make TMJ splints and I liked it so much that, in 2004, I opened my own laboratory.

Two years later, I had the unique opportunity to partner with a dentist-client and TMJ specialist who had developed a custom TMJ appliance. I dissolved my laboratory and, together, we created T&S Laboratory based on his appliance. Since he lectured across the world on his technique, I began traveling for months at a time, training and licensing labs in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. to make our TMJ splints.

As a result of our business in Australia we connected with SomnoMed®—a sleep apnea appliance manufacturer based in Sydney—and in 2008 became one of the first U.S. labs licensed to fabricate the company’s SomnoDent® device.

The sleep...