Dr. Judi graduated from Georgetown University School of Dentistry in 1984. While in dental school, she met her husband, David Heaton, and upon graduation both were commissioned into the US Navy Dental Corps. After 5 years of service ending at Pearl Harbor, HI, they chose to return to Vermont and join Daves fathers dental practice in Rutland. Dr. Ronald Heaton started the practice in 1962 and it has served the community ever since. Judi and Dave raised 4 children in Vermont, the youngest of whom is now in college.

After the loss of a neighboring dentist that previously provided this service to the community, Judi saw a need to be filled. She was aware of the need for a dentist to work closely with the medical community to provide an alternate therapy for obstructive sleep apnea to patients in this part of the state.

She enrolled in the dental sleep medicine mastery program through the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and is currently studying for the exam to become a diplomat in this field of dentistry. In addition, she has continued her studies with various continuing education courses in this discipline to provide care following current standards and guidelines, and to establish a network of other dentists providing oral appliance therapy.

Throughout her career, Judi has been involved with organized dentistry. She became the first female president of the Vermont State Dental Society and after years of involvement, she was elected to the position of First District Trustee to the American Dental Association Board of Trustees. During the 4 years as Trustee, Judi represented the 6 New England States and was only the second trustee from the state of Vermont.

Locally, Judi has assisted the Rutland Free Clinic with organizing free dental care days, the United Way in addressing the dental needs of Rutland County, and local schools with educational materials and presentations.

After 30 years of practicing general dentistry, dental sleep medicine is another rewarding aspect of patient care. A lack of sleep, or interrupted sleep, can be a detriment to overall health. It requires a holistic approach addressing the multiple issues that can affect ones sleep.

Jessie has been in the dental field for over 30 years, focusing on oral health and patient education. She finds it exciting to explore another area of dentistry! Switching the focus to dental sleep medicine has truly emphasized the importance of sleep for a person's body and overall health for Jessie. To meet patients that are exhausted and feeling gloomy, and then watch them change over a short period of time to someone who is bright and cheerful is very rewarding for her.

Sarah joined Dr. Fischs team in 2019 after working in a legal office for many years. She handles the day-to-day administrative side of the practice, working with patients' medical insurance, referrals, & scheduling (to name a few!), and keeps track of any loose ends. Sarah enjoys her daily interactions with our patients, especially observing the positive changes to their spirits and energy level as their treatment progresses.

Most medical insurance offers some coverage for oral appliance therapy after a diagnosis by a physician and in some cases, a trial of CPAP therapy. We recommend contacting your medical insurance company to obtain information regarding your coverage.

If we reach a point where we are not getting the desired effectiveness from oral appliance therapy, Dr. Judi may refer you for an evaluation with an ENT physician as there can be issues with the tissue in the nasal passages and the airway that should be evaluated.

You may be a candidate for combination therapy which is the use of the oral appliance in conjunction with CPAP, allowing the CPAP air pressure to potentially be decreased due to the aid of the appliance in opening the airway.

Throughout the process of treatment at our office, Dr. Judi will send letters to your medical providers updating them on the process and its effectiveness. That is why it is important for us to know your medical providers. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects many aspects of ones overall health and so all medical providers need to be aware of your therapy for OSA.

Oral Appliance Therapy is an effective option for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. It is an oral appliance that holds your lower jaw in a forward position throughout the night, to help maintain an open airway so you can breathe better while you sleep.

From there she will do a thorough examination of your mouth, teeth and associated structures. Then, with cutting edge technology, she will scan your teeth and bite, then send it digitally to the lab for fabrication of your custom appliance.

Your appliance will be created in the lab and sent back to us. It will fit comfortably in your mouth and will be significantly more discreet than CPAP! There are a variety of appliance designs that Dr. Fisch will review with you so that we chose an appliance that will work best for you.

The appliance works by holding your lower jaw in a forward position to help keep your airway open while you sleep. This process brings the tongue forward and helps to keep it from blocking your airway. It's such a simple, natural fix and is incomparably more convenient than the challenges of CPAP.

You will first need to speak to your physician or dentist about obtaining a sleep study. Once that is completed, the sleep physician will make a diagnosis based on the information obtained from the study. The sleep physician will make a recommendation for treatment of your obstructive sleep apnea based on the severity of your condition.

If your results are in the mild category, you could be referred to our office for oral appliance therapy. If there are issues that would prevent the use of CPAP, or you become intolerant to CPAP, you would be referred as well.

While regular dental services are billed under dental insurance, oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea is billed under medical insurance. This means you don't have to have dental insurance to get this treatment. And, most medical insurances cover oral appliance therapy, after a diagnosis and determination of medical necessity by a sleep physician.

Green Mountain Dental Sleep Center is pleased to offer oral appliance therapy to patients in Vermont! We are the only dental sleep medicine center in the lower half of the state that focuses on this type of therapy, works with sleep physicians, and submits to medical insurance. No more driving two hours to get specialized care.