Text by: Raymart N. Sagpang
Photos by: Erlyn May U. Pareja

The University of the Philippines Manila College of Dentistry (UPCD) is taking steps to integrate Dental Sleep Medicine into its undergraduate curriculum and continuing dental education courses, positioning itself to become the first university in the country to offer a formal program or course in this emerging field.

This was revealed by Dr. Michelle Segarra, newly reappointed dean of the College of Dentistry, during the one-day lecture and workshop “Essentials of Dental Sleep Medicine” held on July 11, 2025, at the UPCD Auditorium.

Dental Sleep Medicine is an emerging field that empowers dentists to work alongside physicians and allied health professionals in diagnosing and managing sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). These disorders, often overlooked in their early stages, can lead to serious health consequences like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even premature death if left untreated.

Dean Segarra emphasized that UP Manila, as the country’s premier health sciences institution, is positioned to lead in this field. She said that this program will not only strengthen their curriculum but will also enable them to produce dentists who can collaborate with physicians and other allied health professionals to improve patient outcomes. “In January (2026), we will send six of our faculty members to Khon Kaen University in Thailand for intensive training in sleep medicine. When they return, we will start planning and offering short courses about dental sleep medicine, which we hope to launch by August,” she said. This training is made possible through a memorandum of understanding between Khon Kaen University and UP Manila.

Dean Segarra’s vision is supported by faculty members and alumni, with consultations and planning discussions already underway. Among them is Dr. Agnes Tirona-Remulla, director of Philippine Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (PBO-HNS) and one of the speakers during the lecture and workshop, who highlighted the critical need for dentists to be involved in sleep health. 

“In a perfect world, everybody will go to the dentist, but not everybody will go to an ENT or sleep physician. By the time they refer to us, the patient is very symptomatic and we had missed that earlier part where prevention can still be done,” Dr. Remulla explained, adding that dentists have a great role in sleep medicine that can help close that gap through early detection. Dr. Remulla hopes to integrate expertise from across UP Manila to create a comprehensive program involving not just dentists but also psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists who can contribute to the multidisciplinary management of sleep disorders.

Dr. Maria Therese Galang-Boquiren, an alumna of UPCD (Batch 2000) and now an internationally recognized expert in orthodontics and dental sleep medicine, is helping lead the initiative. “For the Philippines, I wanted to give back to UP because UP has led me to the career that I have right now. So, when I had the chance to take a sabbatical, I didn’t really have to think much; I knew that I wanted to share what I could share with my alma mater,” said Dr. Galang-Boquiren. 

Dr. Boquiren reached out to the UP College of Dentistry with the vision of introducing and teaching Dental Sleep Medicine in the Philippines. She is also one of the speakers on the workshop and discussed with Dean Segarra and Dr. Remulla the possibility of integrating this field into the undergraduate curriculum and continuing dental education courses of the college.

If realized, UPCD could open the doors for research, training, and the development of certified specialists in this field, positioning the university at the forefront of dental innovation with other Southeast Asian countries.#

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