Larry Twersky made a bundle with the 1-800-Dentist service that refers toothache sufferers to dental specialists.

Now, the veteran marketer is hoping to repeat that success by tapping into the angst of long-suffering wives. His latest venture: 1-800-Snoring and a related business called 1-800-Sleepmed.

The services link potential patients with trained dentists who can screen them and sell a variety of medical devices to treat the problem.

“Dentists actually are ideally situated to screen for snoring and sleep apnea because they typically get to spend much more time with their patients these days than a primary care physician,” said Twersky of Tarzana.

Twersky, a former computer software executive, became president of 1-800-Dentist’s parent Futuredontics Inc. more than a decade ago. He cashed out of Futuredontics after two private equity firms took a major stake in the Los Angeles company last August.

He also took with him 1-800-Snoring, which had been incubating within Futuredontics for several months, and developed the 1-800-Sleepmed apnea online site on his own.

Dentists pay a flat $2,000 monthly fee to join the networks, now available in California and several other states. Because dentists can sell anti-snoring devices but not prescribe them, dentists must refer patients to pulmonologists or other specialists for a final diagnosis.

While Twersky remains enthusiastic about the 1-800 approach, Redondo Beach-based corporate branding specialist Brent Scarcliff said naming a company after its toll-free number is rapidly becoming as quaint as a pay phone.

“It’s a promotional strategy and a way to cut through the clutter of the marketplace relatively cheaply, but in the Internet age it’s also becoming a dated strategy,” Scarcliff said.