Dental Sleep Medicine Insider January 2015 | Page 12

The the Oral-Systemic D.I.S.H. on The D.I.S.H. on the Dawson Institute of Systemic Health changes. Dr. Roizen pointed out that a large study showed that 89% of people with adult, type 2 diabetes can lower their blood sugar levels to within normal limits, without the use of medications, by implementing a few simple lifestyle changes. Recent DNA studies have also proven that lifestyle is more important to longevity and quality of life than is our genetic predispostion. He challenged dental teams to be on the frontlines fighting this battle destroying Dawsonthat is that we spend more Academy our nation, pointing out By Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson time with our patients than any othThe Dawson Academy is pleased to er health professionals. We left the bring the Total Wellness Dental Pracconference with an enlarged vision tice seminar series to Brentwood, TN of Dentistry. beginning in April, 2015. In 2012, we In April, 2015 The Dawson Academy attended the second annual conferwill bring scholars, researchers, and ence of the American Academy for clinicians, to the Mountain West Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH). It was Institute, personally training dental held at the Cleveland Clinic, featuring some of the top medical clinicians and teams to expand their practice mission to include total wellness researchers in the world on the subscreening, coaching, and therapy. ject of total wellness. The meeting Our newest course series, The Total completely altered the way we view Wellness Dental Practice, will assist Dentistry. Michael Roizen M.D., Medidental teams to become patient adcal Director of the Cleveland Clinic vocates for total health and gateWellness Institute, shared evidence keepers of systemic inflammation. proving that our nation will soon be bankrupt due to increasing healthcare Systemic inflammation is the fire within that feeds accelerated aging, costs, especially the cost of managing lowered energy levels, poor chronic diseases associated with metmemory, chronic pain, and disease. abolic syndrome/obesity, diabetes, Common causes are oral pathogenic heart disease, dementia, physical inbacteria in the bloodstream, sleep activity, smoking, and stress. Accordapnea, a pro-inflammatory western ing to Dr. Roizen, there will only be diet, physical inactivity, smoking, two options to manage this growing and stress. Dental teams can effeccrisis: rationing of health care by the tively address all these sources of federal government and insurance chronic inflammation. companies, or the public gets smart, and we start taking responsibility for The participants in this course series own health through personal lifestyle will learn from noted authorities including Bradley Bale MD, Steven Masley MD, DeWitt Wilkerson DMD, Tom Nabors DDS, Tony Iacopino DMD, Susan Maples DDS, David Seaman DC,MS, Stephanie Lodding RDH, and Gy Yatros DMD Just some of the topics covered in the continuum include how to use salivary testing to guide antimicrobial periodontal/systemic therapy; home sleep studies to guide screening and monitoring of treatment of obstructive sleep apnea; principles of prevention of diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes; exercise physiology; stress management techniques; nutritional principles; smoking cessation counseling; networking within the medical community, and many other principles of Dental Medicine. For more information contact the Dawson Academy, www.TheDawsonAcademy.com. You are urged to accept the challenge to create The Total Wellness Dental Practice in your own office. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, if in addition to saving teeth, you could also save lives? We would be thrilled to help you! Dr. Wilkerson is Senior Faculty/ Director of Dental Medicine for the Dawson Academy for Advanced Dental Study, in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is Past President of the American Equilibration Society and serves on the Board of Directors for the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH).He can be contacted at [email protected].