Eastern Suburbs Dental Study Group
Join Eastern Suburbs Dental Study Group for the final Meeting of the 2026. Celebrate the year with your colleges and let us know what topics you are interested in for 2027. Division and Study Groups are a great way to stay connected with the Dental Professionals in your area.
Event Details
Date: Tuesday 24 November
Time: Registration from 6:30pm
Location: The Field Rose Bay
Beyond the Mouth: The Role of Nasal Obstruction in Snoring and Sleep Apnoea
Dr Darren Rom
Nasal breathing plays an important role in normal respiratory function, sleep quality and craniofacial development. This presentation will explore the common causes of nasal obstruction, with particular emphasis on allergic rhinitis in children, and its relationship with snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. It will also examine the potential long-term consequences of chronic nasal obstruction and mouth breathing, including their associations with dental malocclusion, altered facial growth and jaw development.
The presentation will outline contemporary approaches to the assessment and management of nasal obstruction, including medical therapies and surgical techniques. Particular emphasis will be placed on multidisciplinary collaboration between ENT surgeons, dentists and orthodontists to optimise nasal breathing, address sleep-disordered breathing and support healthy craniofacial development.
Course Topics:
- The Importance of Nasal Breathing: Causes of nasal obstruction, with particular emphasis on allergic rhinitis in children and its relationship with sleep-disordered breathing.
- Long-Term Consequences of Nasal Obstruction: The impact of chronic mouth breathing on dental occlusion, facial growth and jaw development.
- Management of Nasal Obstruction: Medical and surgical treatment options, including multidisciplinary collaboration between ENT surgeons, dentists and orthodontists.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognise common causes of nasal obstruction and their contribution to snoring and sleep-disordered breathing, particularly in children.
- Understand the potential dental and craniofacial consequences of chronic nasal obstruction and mouth breathing.
Dr Darren Rom is an Australian-trained adult and paediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon with a subspecialty interest in Paediatric conditions and Rhinology (nose and sinus disorders).
Dr Rom completed his medical degree at the University of Sydney, followed by a Master of Surgery in Otolaryngology. He subsequently completed specialist training in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery across New South Wales and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS).
Following specialist training, Dr Rom undertook a competitive 12-month international fellowship at the Royal National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in advanced Rhinology, Facial Plastics and Skull Base Surgery.
Dr Rom has a strong commitment to clinical research, having published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and presented nationally and internationally. He is also actively involved in medical and surgical education, including mentoring medical students and junior trainees.
