Dr. Edward Shukovsky - Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

We take our breathing for granted, don't we?  When was the last time you thought about the next breath you were going to take?  Exactly. Our brain stem controls our breathing.  Carbon dioxide builds in our blood stream and the stimulus is there for us to breathe.  It is only when our breathing is a problem that we seem to appreciate what it does for us.  As a doctor of dentistry, I have had an acute recognition of breathing's importance for over thirty years.  It is only recently that I have taken hold of breathing's importance during sleep.  The night is prelude to the day; a bad night leads to a bad day.  Ever 'pull' an all-nighter in college or at work?  How did you feel the next day?  Not so good. Many dentists have gotten involved with nocturnal breathing; making oral appliances that assist in keeping the airway open.  It is when the breathing apparatus is interrupted that all sorts of physiological changes will occur.

As I have posted previously on my blog, sleep apnea is a very serious condition that can be life-threatening.  It is this life-threatening aspect of the apnea that really caught my attention when Dr. Kent Smith introduced apnea to me in Dallas.  The dentist is very well equipped to identify and diagnose those patients with sleep apnea for a variety of reasons.  Dentists tend to see their patients more frequently than physicians. Dentists tend to spend more time with their patients, whether it is for a cleaning with the hygienist or an appointment with the dentist for restorative care. This is an area where physicians and dentists can dovetail their care for the betterment of the patient. Dentists also specialize in this area of the body.  Examining the airway is nothing new to a dentist. The dentist and sleep physician work together to establish the best possible treatment for the patient.