Dr. Edward Shukovsky - Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

Cosmetic Dentistry. Periodontics.  Endodontics. Implant Dentistry. Reconstructive Dentistry. Adhesive Dentistry.  Invisalign.  Sedation Dentistry. Sleep medicine.  Dentistry has changed dramatically within the last thirty years.  The changes in dentistry have occurred because dentistry went from mythological beliefs to evidence-based science.  Evidenced-based.  Sound research.  I remember when a fellow classmate of mine left etchant on a tooth more than the time that we were told was acceptable and I found him crying in the locker room.  He was certain he caused the patient to need a root canal.  Twenty years later it was shown by John Kanca that leaving the etchant on the tooth too long had no adverse effects on the pulp of the tooth.   Science is science.

Basketball player Shaq O'Neal goes public about his sleep apnea.  Watch the video......

In the 21st century a dentist wears many hats.  We check for oral cancer.  We can move teeth.  We can save teeth from decay, trauma and gum problems.  We can help a patient discover and treat, through an oral appliance, sleep apnea.  We can safely sedate a patient that is fearful.  But one thing that is often overlooked is the degree to which we can change the smile of a patient that is not happy with his or her smile.  Two recent cases that we have treated stand out as great examples of our work in this office.  In the first, a patient that has been a patient for over twenty-five years, chose to have four veneers on her front teeth.  In the second, a man who was never happy with his smile underwent orthodontics for two years and then had us reconstruct his entire mouth.  What do these cases have in common?  Trust.

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.