We all know that dentists can fill cavities, place a crown over a tooth, and perform other teeth and gum remedies, but there's so much more to the profession. Instead of focusing on just the mouth, many oral treatments influence overall body health.
"We treat things many don't even realize are in the arena of dentistry," says Dr. Jeffrey Haddad, a renowned cosmetic dentist and the founder of Rochester Advanced Dentistry in Rochester. "Since the mouth is the entryway to the body, if you have a disease in your mouth or a poor airway, it's going to affect the rest of your body."
One of these issues is TMJ. "When people are suffering from migraines, headaches, ear and neck pain and/or vertigo, none of these symptoms sound like something a dentist could treat. But, by treating the TMJ, we're getting patients back to living their lives without pain."
Another issue he and his colleagues, Dr. Kurt Doolin and Dr. Nina Daws, deal with is snoring. He says many people poke fun at snoring, but it's really a serious matter. It has ruined marriages and can lead to multiple health problems. "When people snore, they're not breathing properly and not getting the healthy sleep they need," he says. "As things progress, it can turn into sleep apnea."
This is not only a medical condition, says Dr. Haddad, but a serious one. "Sleep apnea can have adverse effects on the heart and the brain, resulting in high blood pressure and diabetes. One statistic shows that if people have even mild sleep apnea, they have twice the chance of having a heart attack than a smoker."
People are often hesitant to undergo a sleep study and be diagnosed with sleep apnea because they fear having to use a CPAP machine every night, but that's not the only treatment. "Studies show mild and moderate sleep apnea is better treated with a custom sleep appliance. We make those and I actually wear one myself."
When sleep apnea is suspected in their patients, they set up a simple home sleep study. "The results are read by a board-certified sleep specialist," says Dr. Haddad. "If we get a diagnosis of sleep apnea, we can treat it. Giving our patients proper healing and healthy sleep is the greatest gift we can give them because they don't realize how much their sleep affects their everyday lives. If we can get somebody back to that healing sleep, they'll have the energy to go about their day without a nap or maybe exercise again and get back in shape."
He says when people are exhausted, it can also affect their personality and lead to anxiety. "There are a lot of patients who are on anxiety medication and antidepressants because they have an undiagnosed sleep breathing disorder. They might be able to get off these and some of their other medications. We're talking about life-changing dentistry."
Dr. Haddad gets a lot of satisfaction from helping others, which is one of the main reasons he decided to go into dentistry, and he's primarily known for cosmetic dentistry. "It's the perfect blend of science and art," he says. "We design smiles based on people's faces, on their gender, and on their complexions. A lot of training goes into creating great smiles. This is also life-changing dentistry.
"We have patients who are afraid to smile or have been held back in the work environment because of how consciously or unconsciously they hide their smiles. Cosmetic dentistry is not just about vanity. If they're afraid to smile, it's a quality-of-life problem."
Rochester Advanced Dentistry also offers facial rejuvenation. "As teeth wear down over the years, it affects the shape and support of the face," he says. "We have a computerized system that can find out where those teeth once were, and we can literally give patients back that support, which takes 10 to 15 years off their faces. It's basically a non-surgical facelift."
Dr. Haddad, who has been practicing for 22 years, loves building relationships with his patients. "When you're passionate about what you do and have the ability to change people's lives, it's a blessing."
RochesterAdvancedDentristy.com
"There are a lot of patients who are on anxiety medication and antidepressants because they have an undiagnosed sleep breathing disorder."
"When you're passionate about what you do and have the ability to change people's lives, it's a blessing."
