Description
Develop an Airway Section Titled Airway Mini-Residency and Airway Nexus: AMR 3.0 and Airway Nexus™ form the most comprehensive, evidence-driven educational pathway in airway-centered dentistry.
Developed by Dr. Mark A. Cruz, internationally recognized airway authority, and Dr. Richard G. Stevenson III, restorative and occlusal specialist, this curriculum unites medical science, restorative precision, and functional orthodontic philosophy.
While other programs focus on appliances or profit, AMR 3.0 + Airway Nexus™ trains clinicians to think like physicians within a dental framework—using data, diagnosis, and interdisciplinary collaboration to restore breathing and health.
“We do not treat sleep per se — we help sleep when we treat breathing.”
— Cruz & Stevenson
Why This Course?
Every smile begins with a breath. Yet most dentists were never trained to recognize the airway as the foundation of oral and systemic health. Level I of the Airway Mini-Residency equips you with the skills, frameworks, and clinical vision to identify airway risk factors confidently and competently—so you can finally connect the dots between craniofacial growth, function, and wellness. This course is your entry point into airway-focused dentistry. You’ll gain the knowledge to recognize what’s really driving worn dentition, TMD, malocclusion, esthetic challenges, and even behavioral concerns in children and adults. By the end, you’ll have a solid foundation to carry into Level II: Advanced Clinical Implementation.
Who Should Attend?
Dentists, specialists, and team members who want to:
- Move beyond symptom-based dentistry into whole-patient care.
- Recognize airway dysfunction as the hidden driver of many dental conditions.
- Lay the groundwork for implementing airway treatment protocols with confidence.
Learning Objectives – Level I: Foundations (1 per 3 hours)
By completing this mini-residency, participants will be able to:
- Describe the anatomy and physiology of normal breathing.
- Identify dental and facial manifestations of airway dysfunction.
- Perform and document a full airway examination.
- Capture diagnostic airway photographs with standardized protocol.
- Interpret HRPO and CBCT data for airway assessment.
- Formulate differential diagnoses within the dental scope.
- Integrate airway screening into routine examinations.
- Communicate findings effectively to patients and physicians.
- Establish appropriate referral and co-management pathways.
Topics Include
- Airway anatomy, physiology, and development
- Craniofacial growth and airway implications
- Dental & facial markers of airway compromise
- Comprehensive airway & breathing examination
- HRPO (High Resolution Pulse Oximetry) and CBCT interpretation
- Airway photography & documentation
- Case studies – pediatric → adult
Why Choose This Residency?
- Practical & Clinical: Real case presentations and problem-solving you can apply immediately.
- Future-Ready: Set the stage for advanced training and full implementation in Level II.
- Transformative: Discover how to see patients in a whole new way—and change the trajectory of their health.
What This Course Will Do for You
You’ll confidently integrate the airway exam into daily practice, provide patients with accurate diagnoses and referrals, and create a new service line that improves outcomes and revenue through billable assessments.
Course Hours: Friday-Sunday, June 26-28, 2026 – 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Course Faculty
Mark A. Cruz, DDS – Director
Dr. Cruz graduated from the UCLA School of Dentistry in 1986 and started a dental practice in Monarch Beach, CA upon graduation. He has lectured nationally and internationally and is a member of various dental organizations including the Pacific Coast Society for Prosthodontics and the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry. He was a part-time lecturer at UCLA and member of the faculty group practice and was past assistant director of the UCLA Center for Esthetic Dentistry. He has served on the National Institute of Health/NIDCR (National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research) Grant Review Committee in Washington D.C. and served 2 terms on the DSMB (data safety management board) for the NPBRN (national practice-based research network overseen by the NIDCR) as well as on the editorial board for the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice (Elsevier) and a past reviewer for the JADA and current reviewer for Practice Update (Elsevier). He currently is co-authoring the textbook, Airway Focused Clinical Dentistry: A Comprehensive Guide for Global Wellness Beyond Teeth, Gums & Joints to be published by Elsevier at the end of next year.
Richard G. Stevenson III, DDS – Co-Director
Dr. Stevenson earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1986 from UCLA, a certificate in Advanced Education in General Dentistry in 2001 from UCLA, and obtained Board Certification from the American Board of Operative Dentistry in 2008. He has been mentoring students to achieve superior results on Board Examinations and Entrance Exams since 1992. His work as a mentor of five Richard V. Tucker Study Clubs, combined with teaching at the pre-doctoral and post-doctoral levels at UCLA have forged his commitment to excellence and passing on the knowledge to others. His laudatory history with teaching has garnered him Teacher of the Year Awards from numerous classes at UCLA including the prestigious ADA Golden Apple Award for Teaching. He is a graduate of the famed Kois Center, and maintains a private practice at Stevenson Dental performing Complex Restorative Rehabilitations including Esthetics and Implant Dentistry.
Disclosure Statement: Drs. Stevenson and Cruz report no conflicts of interest which would in any way influence the content or emphasis of this course.
Dr. Barry Raphael, Orthodontist – Co-Director
Guest Faculty: CBCT specialists and myofunctional therapists
Please click here to read the course refund, cancellation, and rescheduling policy.
Course Point of Contact: Peyton Chiu who may be reached at 909-788-4087, or via email shipping@stevensondentalsolutions.com
Course Location:
Stevenson Dental Education Center
570 E. Arrow Hwy., Suite B
San Dimas, CA 91773
