The Severity of Sleep Apnea with Bryan Ferre

The Severity of Sleep Apnea with Bryan Ferre

‍

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Bennett. I've got a special guest for us all today.

This is Bryan Ferre. He's with us. Hello Bryan.

Hello. It’s great to be here.

He's a wonderful friend and colleague and we work together as we help instruct doctors and dentists throughout the world on how they can help their patients improve their sleep breathing. He's got a wonderful story to share with everyone. In fact, he's written a book that he’ll be publishing here soon, and I'm looking forward to that.

One of the first things I want to point out is that Bryan, because of his experience with the field of sleep breathing disorders and how it's affected him personally, has an amazing story. And as a result, it's turned into sort of a mission for him. We call him the Chief Evangelist Officer—or, more formally, the Senior Vice President and Marketing Director at Vivos Therapeutics. Did I say all that right, Bryan?

It's all good. Yep.

‍

Bryan’s Mission at Vivos Therapeutics

My mission is to help as many people as I can learn about the condition, because most people think this is a condition that's mildly annoying at best. So my mission is twofold. Number one, to raise awareness about the serious nature of this condition. And two, to help doctors and dentists not only understand the science and the therapeutic protocols but really grasp how this condition is impacting the lives of their patients—even when those patients don’t realize it.

So they couldn’t think of a proper title for me. When I get on stage, I sound like a preacher, so they call me the Chief Evangelist.

Right on. I like how you put it because it is so sinister. It's such a subtle disease process that is just right there—it’s really the elephant in the room in a lot of cases regarding chronic symptomatology in our patients.

From my own experience treating patients full-time for the last ten years, I’ve come across so many stories. The typical scenario: a man comes in saying, “Hey, my wife's kicked me outta bed. I'm sleeping on the couch 'cause I snore too much. Can you fix my snoring?”

He might even mention that their love life has been compromised and say, “I don’t know if you can do anything about that, but I’m here.” And I say, “Let’s take a look.” We do the exam and testing, and we often find that they have sleep apnea. And sometimes they’ll still say, “Just fix my snoring—that other stuff doesn’t matter.”

It’s wonderful to have the knowledge and the tools now where we can help people truly heal and unleash the healing power that already exists in their bodies—if we can just give them a good night’s sleep and a healthy airway.

So thank you for sharing your mission. I'd love to ask, how did you get started on this path?

‍

Bryan’s Personal Journey: Tragedy Turned into Purpose

I had a very successful 26-year career as a strategic business consultant. I worked with Fortune 500 companies like Intel, Verizon, Iomega, and even with small businesses—my smallest client was a guy who had a hot dog stand on the beach in California called Yummy Buns. It was a great career.

Then on October 27, 2015, my wife, Carrie, died suddenly in her sleep from sleep apnea. She was 44.

A couple of months after that, a friend introduced me to someone who needed business consulting. We talked for 20 minutes, and about 15 minutes in, I was bawling. He was taken aback and said, “This isn’t how I expected this meeting to go.” But he was describing obstructive sleep apnea and all its comorbidities, and I suddenly realized—I had been living that story for the past 15 years.

Carrie had nine of the comorbid conditions that we now know are connected to obstructive sleep apnea. Throughout our life together, no doctor had ever told us sleep apnea was dangerous or contributing to her other issues.

So I worked with this new client for a couple of months. Then I said, “You should fire me.” He asked why, and I said, “Because I want to join your company. I want to help build this and save lives.” That client was Kirk Huntsman, CEO and co-founder of Vivos Therapeutics with Dr. Dave Singh.

Two days later, Kirk made me an offer. I sold my business and joined Vivos.

That’s awesome. And can I ask, were you already aware of sleep apnea at the time she died? Or was this all in hindsight?

Oh, she was diagnosed a year after we got married—in 2005. But we didn’t realize how dangerous it was. She had an AHI score of 91, which is severe sleep apnea. And by the time she passed away, her AHI had increased to 96.

‍

The Urgency of Raising Awareness

You’ve said you wake up every day with a mission. What drives you now, after everything you’ve lived through?

Three things.

First, I want to raise awareness about the true danger of sleep apnea. Everyone thinks it’s just snoring. But it’s not. It’s linked to at least 34 comorbid conditions—including high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, stroke, and heart disease.

Second, I want people to know there are only two real ways to fix the root cause: surgically rebuilding the jaws or using a therapeutic protocol like the Vivos System. Most people don’t even know that’s an option.

Third, I want to change how healthcare works—especially in the U.S. Sleep apnea costs our economy an estimated $160 billion annually. That’s not even counting the human toll. If we start treating the root problem, we’ll not only save lives—we’ll save billions.

‍

Reinventing Healthcare, One Patient at a Time

What would you change about medical education to make this happen?

If I could build my own medical school, I’d make sure every graduate had three critical skills:

1. Sleep and Breathing Expertise – Not just knowing what sleep apnea is, but how it affects the body on every level.
2. Communication with Patients – Doctors need to explain conditions in a way that real people understand. That’s often missing.
3. Team Engagement – Every doctor should be able to train their staff to identify warning signs and help patients navigate care.

And I’d add a fourth component: natural and integrative medicine. Doctors should understand the role of nutrition, mindfulness, and epigenetics in healing. It's not about rejecting traditional medicine—it’s about expanding our understanding of what real healing looks like.

‍

One of the Most Powerful Moments

You’ve mentioned that you now work with your wife Lori, who’s also a patient. What has that experience taught you?

It’s taught me the full-circle power of awareness.

Lori didn’t believe she had sleep apnea. But she snored. She had all the signs. So she went to see you, and now she’s getting help. I get to watch her improve. I get to see what life looks like when someone doesn’t fall through the cracks. It’s healing for both of us.

Also, Lori wants me to kiss her every morning and say “Have a great day.” That was the opposite of what Carrie wanted—Carrie couldn’t be disturbed in the morning because she’d finally gotten into REM sleep after hours of apnea. So now, I’m still learning to shift those old habits.

‍

The Power of the Dental Perspective

What final message would you want to share with dentists, clinicians, or even regular people who might be reading this?

If you’re a dentist: realize that your oral exam reveals systemic health. Crowded teeth, scalloped tongue, dry mouth, worn enamel—these are red flags. You may be the first and only provider to notice them.

If you’re a patient: don’t ignore snoring. Don’t dismiss fatigue. If something feels off, advocate for yourself or your loved one. Ask your dentist about your airway. Ask your physician for a sleep study. Use your voice.

And if you’re a parent: know that children can be affected too. Bedwetting, ADHD-like symptoms, chronic mouth breathing, nightmares, tethered tongues—these can all be signs of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing.

We can’t fix what we don’t see. But once we see it, we can change everything.

‍

Conclusion: From Pain to Purpose

Thank you, Bryan. Your story is powerful. Carrie’s life and legacy are clearly making a difference in the world.

It means everything to me to know that. I’ve worked in Fortune 500 boardrooms and consulted for CEOs, but this work—helping people breathe and sleep better—is the most meaningful thing I’ve ever done. And I’ll keep doing it until the world understands what’s at stake.

To all of our listeners and readers: If this message resonates with you, think about who in your life might be struggling in silence. Who’s snoring? Who’s exhausted? Who’s chasing symptoms without answers?

Breathe. Sleep. Heal. Then thrive.

Visit VivosLife.com to learn more or find a provider near you.

‍

‍