Somnomed Competes with Dentists Using Revenue From the Same Dentists Ordering Sleep Appliances
Somnomed subsidiary Renew Sleep Solutions, Inc. (“RSS”), has officially opened their first six centers in major markets of the United States (Oklahoma, Tulsa, Kansas City, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Brookfield and Phoenix). These centers will be an all-in-one stop for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Somnomed is now reaching directly to the general population to increase sales of their appliance, The SomnoDent®. There are dentists who choose to utilize this appliance to treat their OSA patients. What I’m sure many of us didn’t see coming, though, is Somnomed opening centers that will be putting our dentists’ patients in their own chairs and using their appliances to treat them as well.
Front Desk, Renew Sleep Solutions
I know I’ve read several articles explaining the magic of David Gergen, but I couldn’t believe it when I read the press release announcing these centers because David himself told me years ago that Somnomed would be moving in this direction in the coming years. He told me, “Jerry, Somnomed is going to eventually roll out a program that will be taking patients away from our dentists. They asked me to interview for the head position and I declined. I’ve always been fighting for the dentists, and this would just be pushing most them out of the market. The guys who are sending cases to Somnomed to treat their patients are supporting their own demise in the future.”
This is just another example of a big company trying to exploit the dentists and if Somnomed gets their way, patients will be ordering sleep appliances at a kiosk in the mall.
I had time to visit Dr. Harry Sugg in Phoenix and even Dr. Sugg says it’s a horrible thing when big companies hire dentists right out of school and/or with no sleep experience. He said, “Our industry’s been bastardized enough. This is just another example of business people trying to make a quick buck and not thinking of the overall well-being of the patients. I’ve ordered one Somnomed appliance in my life; it didn’t work very well. I’ve been ordering from Gergen’s Sleep Appliance Lab for years and everything fits great. I will tell all of my dental friends not to order any appliances from Somnomed.”
Dr. Jerry Anderson, DDS