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A NEW VIEW
Dentistry has become a very exciting field because of all the ways we're able to change aesthetics and so much more. Today, we're able to change growth and development, energy levels, and even cognitive levels. We now have the know-how and tools to develop the airway in children as early as two years old. Traditionally, the orthodontist never wanted to see a child until age eight or nine. But we now know that if we expand the palate enough, since the ceiling of the palate is the floor of the nose, then we can give a child a lifetime of good health. With an open airway established in childhood, that patient never suffers from sleep apnea or all the health problems that can result from it.
That includes cognitive health. That's right-we can change cognition and people's behavior just by giving them better-quality sleep. We're actually helping brain development in kids while helping with their facial development. It's a very exciting field because we can really help children and adults develop to their full potential.
Over the years, there's been a change in the understanding of whole-body health by patients as well. Today, people are more open to root-cause medicine, functional medicine, and integrative medicine. They don't want to just take a pill. They're starting to understand that there is no silver bullet and that lifestyle has a lot to do with chronic disease.
It's an entirely different focus of dentistry. We used to spend our time debating the best way to ensure that the teeth come together in the ideal bite. Today, it's all about airway-breathing trumps everything else in dentistry. If you can't breathe, it doesn't matter if you have beautiful teeth.
Let me tell you more about the different ways in which dentistry today is making an amazing difference in people's lives.
About the author
Michael Gelb, DDS, MS, is a world-renowned TMJ and sleep specialist. He is the developer of
Airway Centric® integrated therapy, the first day and night dental appliance system to bring an
integrated approach to addressing airway issues.
He also coauthored GASP: Airway Health and cofounded the Foundation for Airway Health and
the American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry.
