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| With Dr. Mayoor Patel and Dr. Terry Bennet |
I
like to know why I do things.
Understanding my motivation to pursue a passion
results in me being at peace with what I give up to accomplish my goals.
Nothing is achieved without a cost and I want to make sure that I am not paying
too high a price to gain something.
When
it comes to practicing Dental Sleep Medicine, I am clear about why I do it- To
improve the lives of our patients.
The
lack of restful sleep is an epidemic in our society.
We
have been geared and encouraged to achieve ‘success’ at any cost. It has
traditionally been a boast to have ‘pulled an all nighter’ in high school and
college. Putting in extra hours at work has been considered an employee’s
strength in many professions. Well, it has all come at a great detriment to our
health and well being.
Society
is waking up to the serious consequences of not getting enough sleep. There is
no system in the body that goes unpunished by breathing disorders but the heart
deserves special mention. The effects on this critical organ can be life
threatening. At the very least, the impact is life altering- and not in a good
way.
As
a dentist, I am in a unique position to help patients.
The area that I treat on
a daily basis is full of physical clues that alert me to the possibility that
my patient may have a high risk of having a sleep disorder. That allows me to
start a discussion with them and send them to be further evaluated and possibly
tested for sleep apnea.
As
a dentist, I work with sleep physicians when it
comes to treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Oral Sleep Appliances are one of
the treatment modalities available to help a patient breathe through the night.
I work as part of a team that collaborates to get results for the patient.
Sleep
Medicine is still in its infancy. There is a wealth of new information coming
from sleep research being done in many disciplines. For me, the opportunity to
continuously learn and grow so I can be my personal best and bring optimal care to
our patients is another WHY I practice Dental Sleep Medicine.
Pictured
above are 2 Dental Sleep Medicine educators that I have had the pleasure of
learning from- Dr. Mayoor Patel and Dr. Terry Bennett. Hats off to great
teachers that pay it forward!
It
has been a while since I have blogged. I have missed writing and sharing with you but was focused and devoted to setting up the NEW JERSEY DENTAL
SLEEP MEDICINE CENTER at 229 Charles Street during those months.
But
I promise to be in touch regularly now. There’s a lot to talk about!
Be
well, Do well, Live well
Sunita
