Dr. Robert Brown

It’s Not the Germs

March 11, 2020 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

IT IS NOT THE GERMS WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT, IT IS OUR INNER TERRAIN—Louis Pasteur

As I walk by innocent victims of “modern medicine” lined up for their drugs at our local market, it is strikingly clear to me that we have often been misled to believe that taking drugs when we are sick will help us to be disease resistant and healthy, when actually we are only treating symptoms and not preventing disease.

When I get to the checkout line, I see one big reason why there is a sick line. The baskets are filled with mostly inflammatory and unhealthy foods. Medicine has known for decades that chronic inflammation is themajor cause of disease.

If germs caused diseases all by themselves, we wouldn’t be here. We become more susceptible to disease when we eat unhealthy food, thus lowering our immune system’s response to the exposed germs. Have you ever wondered why some people get sick all the time, while others rarely do? The “flu season” should be more accurately referred to as “the season of obnoxious eating.”

Between Halloween and Easter, when sugars and starches are at their minimum in nature, and the store shelves are at their maximum in candy sales, society does the opposite and stuffs itself with garbage. Due to advances in grain storage, refrigeration, and shipping from southern hemispheres, we have access to foods normally only eaten in summer all year long. This eliminates the very important ketogenic dietary period of the year when we lose weight, give our liver a break, and prevent cancer. Grains have just recently in our evolution become a dominant source of food. Most nutritionists recommend whole grains, when research has found many deadly conditions and diseases result from their consumption. Gluten has recently been identified as a major cause of leaky gut syndrome which allows gut fluids with bacteria to enter our blood. Fish farms are even feeding grains to many farmed fish to lower their costs. Cattle get indigestion from grain requiring antacids to be added.

Those of you who have been following my articles are aware that my practice is holistic, treating the patient, not the symptom. A very effective method of destroying your terrain and maintaining your body in an inflammatory state is the intake of inflammatory foods and additives. Doctors should understand this, and yet, does your doctor ever inquire into your eating habits?

My youngest daughter was born with severe asthma and modern medicine’s answer was steroids. I consulted an alternative doctor and within a few months she was asthma free, growing up to become a world class athlete as an adult, all by dietary changes.

I have been on a grain and dairy food free, paleo diet for over eight years, and I now experience the best health of my life. I gladly share my ideas with my patients. By the way, perfect nutrition requires supplementation, but you need help from an expert who has studied nutritional knowledge from holistic sources.

For more information about my sleep and TMJ practice in Danville, California, visit www.aodtc.com.

Slouching Causes Health Problems

December 31, 2019 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

Both mental and physical health problems can either be caused or exacerbated by poor posture. There are ample scientific studies on this relationship as well as biofeedback devices developed to help remind us when we slouch. Rather than go into these areas, I want to address some factors that cause this ever-increasing problem affecting our wellbeing.

As I have mentioned in earlier articles, my approach in treatment of pain and dysfunction is holistic. Simply put, I study everything about the patient that could possibly contribute to why that patient has come to me for help. A holistic approach is never limited to modern medicine, for ancient medicine, in many cases, is far more effective and less threatening to the patient’s health, happiness, and life.

In my TMJ practice I have found a remarkable increase in neck, shoulder, and back pain, in addition to myofascial, headache, and joint pain. A holistic look at the public, in general, demonstrates an incredible increase in slouching. Some of it is caused by the introduction of backpacks to even very young students. In earlier cultures, loads were carried on heads, causing a person to stand up straight. People only looked down for food, obstacles in their path, or footprints. Now the excessive use of cell phones, social media devices, games, and computers have resulted in excessive slouching.

Any time there is a sudden change of human activity and posture that has existed for endless years, it’s logical to expect this could trigger a negative response to health, both mental and physical.

I recently took part in a big game fishing tournament in Mexico. There was no WiFi at the location which forced otherwise too busy businessmen to talk to each other. I got to have conversations with some very interesting men and women and learned about their businesses and their lives and we became international friends. Wi-Fi would have prevented this. In coffee shops we have the same problem; everyone is looking at their cell phone, thus they don’t get to know each other. In addition, challenges that could be shared don’t get discussed which opens another door to mental health and social problems.

In the November 2019 edition of the Townsend Letter, “The Examiner of Alternative Medicine,” they introduce a biofeedback device—the “Upright Go 2.” This device, when applied to one’s back, vibrates when one slouches. When this device was used to treat one group along with a control group not using it, the study showed “significantly improved physical and mental health scores” for the group using the device.

In my practice at Advanced Oral Diagnosis & Treatment Center, when we’re dealing with patients suffering from chronic pain, we know their physical and mental health are major factors to consider. As you can easily understand, the holistic approach is far more complicated and time consuming than “let me give you something for your condition.” For more information about my practice, please visit: www.aodtc.com or call 925-837-8048. I specialize in TMJ therapy and custom made oral devices to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

Quality Sleep

November 13, 2019 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

Recent studies make it clear that having quality sleep and getting enough sleep are vital to a healthy, active, long lasting, and cognitively rich life. Losing an hour of sleep, such as during spring daylight savings time, results in 25% more heart attacks in adults the next day. Studies also show that simply getting one more hour of sleep contributes to better grades and more graduations from high school. For children, healthy sleep is also necessary for proper development of the heart.

How to improve sleep quality:

Have a regular bedtime.
Have a regular bedtime routine.
Avoid blue light, a.k.a. screen time on phones, computers and TV. We evolved on fire light, so did our brains.
Stay away from mind-stimulating activities after dinner. News, social media, and video games prevent our bodies from preparing for sleep.
Don’t do financial things, like paying bills, after dinner.
Make a prioritized, hand-written to-do list that includes handling worries, and get in the habit of following it. It has been found that during sleep, if the list is hand-written, our brains are sometimes able to solve or clarify problems. This may be because there is too much clutter in our minds when we are awake.
Try meditation or mindfulness training. These methods have been proven to lower blood pressure. Could it be that lower blood pressure helps you sleep? Body relaxation, yoga, and breathing techniques when combined with meditation can be profound.
Avoid alcohol. Yes, having a drink before bed, “a night cap,” can lull your mind into falling asleep, but it has a rebound effect that wakes you up at about 3 or 4 am.

Those of you addicted to “modern” pharmaceutical medicine may be more inclined take a pill like Ambien or Lunesta. While short term use is sometimes necessary with certain life events, it is important to avoid long term regular use as there are side effects. One very important side effect is that, even though you get to sleep, these medications can prevent the achievement or quantity of REM sleep. The areas of the brain that turn on during REM sleep seem to help learning, memory, and cognition. Dreams happen during the REM stage of sleep. The body becomes immobile during REM sleep which allows the Glial cells, whose duty is to pad and protect the neurons, to shrink to one tenth their size. In this state the brain is allowed to have a fluid exchange eliminating the waste that was accumulated since your last REM sleep. This phenomenon could explain why untreated OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) can result in an increased incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, not to mention the cognitive interference that can be caused. No matter what, always avoid a drug dependence.

Melatonin is a hormone created by our brains once the sun goes down. It helps your body know when it is time to sleep or wake up. The amount of light you get each day, plus your own body clock, set how much your body makes. Taking melatonin can actually lessen the body’s ability to produce it, possibly because of the overdosing. New melatonin sprays using very small amounts have been introduced to counteract this problem, but the results are not yet clear. I have seen short-term use of a small dosed, timed-release melatonin work quite well.

One problem that promotes poor sleep is that almost all of us are magnesium deficient. Almost no farms replace minerals to the soil and magnesium (Mg) is one of the most important. Among many vital functions, magnesium has been proven to decrease anxiety and promote sleep. I take “Magnesium L-Threonate” every night two hours before bed. I usually fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, and stay asleep all night. If you have trouble with sleep and are trying to stop taking prescribed sleep medications, I recommend that you consult an integrative practitioner about supplements that might help.

Even though you may have great lifestyle habits including diet, exercise, and mindfulness training, without enough sleep, optimal health is almost impossible to achieve. At my practice, the Advanced Oral Diagnosis and Treatment Center, we treat the patient, not just the symptoms, with no pharmaceuticals. For more information visit www.aodtc.com or call 925-837-8048.

First, Do No Harm

September 16, 2019 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

The essence of the Hippocratic Oath is this statement, and yet the oath is regularly violated due to incompetence and greed. This violation occurs throughout the medical and the pharmaceutical industries much more than you realize. In this article I will limit “doing harm” to my field, which is Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction, a.k.a. TMD.

One of the greatest shortcomings of medicine and dentistry is labeling symptoms, establishing treatment protocol, and prescribing drugs and procedures, without addressing the many possible attributing factors. This basically leaves the patient out of the picture.

An example could be what is referred to as a trigger point pain. For example, a “tooth ache” really has nothing to do with the tooth but is instead initiated by a muscle spasm transferred to the tooth by a nerve. In my practice I have witnessed patients that have had multiple root canal treatments, followed, when the problem remained, by extraction. In one lecture that I attended by a dental college professor with multiple degrees, all of the patient’s teeth were lost this way and the doctor concluded that the treatment should have been pain relief with drugs instead. I use no drugs in my practice. When the pain is gone, it is because I discovered what caused the pain and treated the cause with only positive side effects and far less financial pain.

Another patient of mine expressed to her dentist that after a prolonged dental procedure, her teeth were not contacting on the left side and she had pain and difficulty chewing food. His solution was muscle relaxants followed by three different appointments of equilibrating the teeth. Her bite was still off, and now her teeth had been permanently altered.

Teeth should not be equilibrated, moved orthodontically, or have root canals (unless there is an obvious need on the x-ray) until the TMD is reduced or resolved. If the TMJ discs have been displaced due to having the mouth open for a long dental procedure under anesthesia for example, adjusting the teeth will not fix the problem. Once the discs are functioning properly again and the patient is asymptomatic, if the teeth still need equilibration or movement, that is the time to do so.

One of the factors preventing doctors from being holistic is that it requires much more understanding of the many fields of the human physiology and requires more time to find the cause. Not finding the cause can result in expensive and unnecessary dental procedures. Unfortunately, some dentists proceed with full mouth reconstruction at a tremendous cost to the patient, assuming that their occlusion was the whole cause of their TMD. If this were the case, everyone with a malocclusion would have TMD.

If you have dental discomfort, before you agree to any treatment, be sure that a proper diagnosis of the cause has been made and that that dentist is qualified to correct it, or that the practitioner knows someone who can. In my experience the finest dentists will not touch a problem that they know someone else could handle more effectively.

At AODTC we specialize in treating sleep apnea and treating TMD, including the symptoms of craniofacial pain, toothaches, headaches/migraines, jaw popping, jaw locking, jaw pain, ear congestion, and more. We don’t perform any additional dental procedures to correct the bite, so you won’t be presented with additional costly treatment proposals. For more information please visit aodtc.com or call 925-837-8048.

The Importance of Sleep

July 10, 2019 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

In my practice, it amazes me when patients survive on very little sleep and think that it is a virtue. The quantity and quality of your sleep every night is vital. Sleep loss can create distinct problems.

In my earliest Alive articles, I wrote a series on the topic of inflammation being the cause of most diseases. Lack of sleep and poor sleep quality turn out to be a major cause of inflammation, which, in turn, have recently been found to be the number one cause of heart disease.

Many studies support the importance of sleep. One large study of daylight savings time showed that on the Monday following the time change in Spring, when we lose one hour, there is a 25% increase in heart attacks. In the Fall, when we add an hour, there is a 21% decrease.

Studies also show that when schools start later, attendance, grades, and graduation percentage all improve and behavioral problems and auto accidents decrease.

Here are a few suggestions for more and better sleep. When you wake up, get exposed to sunlight because it sets your internal clock and starts the release of serotonin, the “awake” hormone. In the evening, keep the lights down with as little blue light as possible. Bright light prevents melatonin production, the “sleep” hormone. Keep regular bedtime hours and avoid eating or drinking late, especially caffeine, alcohol, and sugar. Avoid naps. Stay cool and sleep in fabrics that breathe. Avoid social media and video games in the evening and encourage family conversation and problem solving.

Learning to handle stress will also help with sleep. Here are some useful tools: meditation on a regular basis; talking about problems with friends and family; avoiding junk food; learning about and eating anti-inflammatory foods, drinking lots of quality water and avoiding sugar, grains and starches; getting adequate and quality sleep; when you have time off, use it for fun and relaxation; take up enjoyable hobbies like music, art, cooking, and gardening, and let them replace TV, especially violent and disturbing shows.

If stress is controlling your life, get help, especially if it is causing unhealthy habits, like drug or prescription dependency or alcohol use. Many times stress and its results can cause financial as well as emotional problems. That is why I worked for years to establish the Discovery Center. Located in Danville, the many professionals that we have available can make it affordable to get expert help. For me, creating this service was the greatest accomplishment of my life and the Discovery Thrift Shop, also in Danville, is a major source of its funding.

At my practice, AODTC, we can help with the quality of your sleep. For more information visit: www.aodtc.com or call 925-837-8048.

What is TMJ?

May 7, 2019 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

The acronym TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, a.k.a. the jawbones. TMD represents the dysfunction of these temporomandibular joints, which describes the dysfunctional symptoms yet has very little to do with the underlying cause. If I wanted to make the abbreviation more precise, I might suggest MFMD—myofascial mandibular dysfunction. Myofascial means facial muscles and most dysfunctions would not exist if the muscles weren’t contributing to the problem. In the past, TMD was considered a “dental” issue, but some medical insurance companies are now considering the dysfunction a medical condition.

In my practice, Advanced Oral Diagnosis and Treatment Center (AODTC), we are astutely aware that your head is part of your body. Therefore, it is important to work holistically to solve the cause, not just treat the symptoms.

Let’s look at some of the symptoms for which we seek the cause: chronic headaches-sometimes diagnosed as migraines, facial muscle pain, joint pain (in front of the ear), joint sounds (gravely, sandy or popping), locking closed-unable to open the mouth normally, or locked open-unable to close the mouth or bite the teeth together normally. Neck and shoulder pain can result as a response to the facial and head pain. Chewing pain can also happen, taking the joy out of eating.

These problems should never be made light of. I have seen lives radically altered due to the never-ending agony. Please DON’T wait until it is really bad before seeking help. The best dentists are aware of the complexity and will refer you to a specialist.

Those sounds of clicking, popping, or a gravel-like noise are all due to the disk inside the joint capsule not being able to move properly with the joint as it rotates, then slides forward as you open. What this means is you are likely having bone to bone contact and irreversible damage may be occurring. In so many of my patients, what should be nice round joints (condyles) have been flattened and possibly lost the cortical plates. These irreversible problems could have been avoided by seeking help when first noticed.

The most severe damage usually happens while sleeping due to our ability to clench and grind with much more force when asleep. I have designed a type of removable, custom-made splint to wear while sleeping that prevents this trauma.

Probably the most common cause of TMD is the habit of keeping the teeth together, along with clenching and grinding. In normal lifestyles, teeth are only designed to come together when we swallow, which has been found to be an average of 16 minutes a day. Research using electrodes that was done over 50 years ago found that the average TMD case has teeth together 16 hours a day. The underlying cause of these painful habits can be stress, hormone imbalance, obstructive sleep apnea, pain in other areas of the body, the need for medications, taking stimulants, nail biting, as well as other illnesses.

Arthritis, especially rheumatoid, can attack the joint, causing a very complex case for specialists. Any trauma to the head or neck can cause severe TMD and general pain problems that can only be handled properly by a team of specialists. Even something as simple as having your mouth open too long for a dental procedure or wisdom tooth extractions can start the dysfunction of the joints.

Leaving the dysfunction untreated and hoping that it will resolve on its own may result in years of issues rather than weeks to months. Common treatments may be suggested by various clinicians, which include soft diet, cold compresses, over-the-counter night guards, drugs, and more. In so many cases I have had patients come to me after years of discomfort, many times having paid for complex, unpleasant, and expensive treatments that did not help.

At AODTC our method is treating the patient not the symptom. Many drugs used to treat the symptom only relieve pain, allowing the underlying dysfunction to do more damage. Never forget that taking pain medication is oftentimes like telling our body to “shut up” when it is crying out for help. The goal of a holistic approach is to discover and treat the disease, resulting in the side effect of better overall health.

Because our office specializes in TMJ treatment and oral appliances for sleep apnea, we will not surprise you with fees for extra dental procedures, crowns, equilibrations, orthodontics, etc. If any additional dental work is needed we can refer you to an appropriate specialist. For more information about AODTC, located in Danville, California, please visit www.aodtc.com.

The Power of Self-Speak

March 12, 2019 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

In my last article in the January issue of Alive Magazine, I introduced five new vitamins: H1, H2, L1, L2, and vitamin F. All these vitamins are part of health and happiness. This is no joke, as many illnesses, especially chronic ones, can be a result of poor attitudes and bad habits.

Now let’s talk about an anti-vitamin—the ego. The ego, when created in a very positive upbringing, can be quite helpful. However, if the ego is influenced by negative contributors, it can become an enemy you must fight against throughout your life. In primitive times we needed warnings built into us about what to watch out for outside of the cave. Now the ego, that little built in system that forms between age five and ten, wants to guide us through life, and at times, holds on to a poor self-image, unhealthy self-talk, and self-destructive behavior.

For example, when a child is raised getting attention and recognition mainly when misbehaving, it can lead to an adult who subconsciously uses pain and illnesses to get attention and care. And self-talk matters. Many patients share their symptoms with me at their exam and history appointments, stating things like, “my constant neck pain,” “my craving for sweets,” “my headaches,” “my arthritis,” etc. Many of these problems are emotional, or at least so supported by the fact that the patient “owns them,” that those of us in holistic medicine see a need for counseling.

Yes, medical intervention may help, but changing one’s mind set and the self-talk can sometimes allow symptoms to go completely away rather than just be reduced. The psychology of illness and the energy that we give that illness when we “own it” is very powerful.

A simple step in the right direction is to change the lingo. When sharing about your history, say, “the neck pain that has been affecting me since…,” “the headaches I have had,” etc. Giving into the illness or diagnoses adds to the emotional stress which in turn can create horrible dietary habits, making the inflammatory and pain responses worse.

At AODTC we treat the patient, not the symptom. If there is a factor causing the symptom, drugs can prevent us from finding this factor. Discovering the cause and working toward eliminating that cause is our goal. As you can understand, the side effects of this approach can be far reaching in promoting optimal health and vitality for the whole person, mind and body.

For more information about my TMJ and sleep practice in Danville, CA visit www.aodtc.com.

Creating a Wonderful Life

January 9, 2019 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

Most of my columns have concentrated on issues revolving around achieving excellent health and treating TMJ dysfunction and Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which are my specialties. However, this month I want to talk about some supplements that can bring fulfillment, happiness, joy, more love, more vitality at any age, and even better physical health and youthfulness.

I want to introduce probably the most important supplements of all time to achieve these goals: Vitamin L1, L2, H1, H2, and possibly the most important vitamin of all, Vitamin F.

Most of us do not realize that God gave each of us a large measure of control over our ability to create and enjoy a magnificent life. I have experienced pain, financial losses, and emotional tragedy, as most of us have. Yet I have learned how to make joy and fulfillment controlling factors in my life. I attribute the use of these supplements as major contributors to my happiness.

I recommend taking these supplements many times daily.

Vitamin L1- Love: Very, very important for the HEART, not just your own heart, but for the hearts of those you love.
Vitamin L2 – Laughter: Very important for digestion and relaxation as well as vagus nerve activation increasing heart rate variability.
Vitamin H1- Hugs: Very important to reduce blood pressure, but they must come from caring and sincerity.
Vitamin H2- Happiness: Bring joy to others and your family by your smile and good nature. If you just acknowledge the massive blessings and beauty all around you, including every breath and heartbeat you experience, happiness results.
Vitamin F- Forgiveness: Without forgiveness none of the above can work.

Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself.

Lack of vitamin F gives us an inability to experience LIFE itself and, in addition, creates many illnesses, including unhappiness, depression, anxiety, and all the physical and mental problems that go along with these conditions.

I highly recommend overdosing on these vitamins, mainly because very large doses result in a lot of real fun and bring joy to the world! We are all eternal spirits, temporarily housed in human bodies and sent here to enjoy life and love. The purpose of life is love.

TMJ: More than an Epidemic

November 10, 2018 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

It is estimated that more than 10 million people in the United States are affected by Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) disorder (TMD). One researcher estimated that 75% of the US population will, at some time, experience one or more symptoms of this condition. TMD is very complex and includes joint and connective tissue disorders as well as muscle dysfunction (myofascial pain dysfunction, MFPD). The majority of those affected are women of childbearing age, but it can impact most age groups and men as well.

Common TMD and MFPD are poorly understood by many primary care clinicians and commonly misdiagnosed as ear infections, migraine headaches, vertigo, tinnitus, chiropractic disorders, and even as psychological issues. Because TMJ disorders can cause a multitude of other symptoms like neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, depression, anxiety, and poor sleep, all of which can have other etiological factors, many misdiagnosis are made as well as unnecessary drugs prescribed or unnecessary surgeries performed. The patient who holds the record in my practice had been given a total of 26 prescriptions, none of which were necessary and resulted in many serious side effects, which took years to overcome.

The first step, before treating any symptoms, is to make a proper diagnosis. This requires a dentist or oral surgeon that specializes in TMJ disorders or sometimes an ENT that knows the area well enough to realize the need for a proper referral.

Although most dental schools recommend several medications, I don’t. Relieving pain with a drug is like giving a pain killer to a patient for a painful foot without first removing the thorn. An extensive exam and history should first be performed including dietary and lifestyle habits and stress management. Certain habits, like excessive consumption of inflammatory foods, excessive gum chewing, fingernail biting, opening the mouth too widely or moving the jaw side to side, poor sleep hygiene, chin leaning, excessive stress such as from a long commute in heavy traffic, and many other factors can play major roles. Untreated OSA, obstructive sleep apnea, can cause severe TMJ problems because one can clench so much harder when asleep.

With a proper diagnosis the TMJ specialist can construct a treatment plan that best approaches the special needs of all the contributing factors. The plan may include using other clinicians to administer physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, oral surgery including changing the fluid within the joint, Botox injections of specific muscles, seeing an ENT, and many more options. In my practice my own personally-designed lower orthotic (splint) is standardly placed, occasionally with immediate relief. The least invasive and least costly approach that results in a happy patient is always my goal.

If you experience any joint sounds when moving your jaw, don’t wait until it hurts. Those sounds mean a malfunction of the disc between the jaw and the skull and can signal that bone loss or arthritis may be happening. It is much more affordable to treat it early and prevent permanent damage rather than allowing it to become serious with a less desirable result. A large percentage of migraines are myofascial pain which can be relieved without drugs. For more information, please visit www.aodtc.com.

Can Social Media Use Cause Sleep Problems?

September 3, 2018 by Dr. Robert Brown Leave a Comment

Recently there have been numerous studies that indicate that sleep problems increase radically in those who spend excessive time on social media, especially at night. One study of 467 students at Glasgow University showed that social media use was related to poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem, higher anxiety, and depression. Those of us practicing in the field of sleep medicine are aware of the domino effect of these problems from weight gain to higher blood pressure and susceptibility to many illnesses.

Another study at the University of Pittsburg Medical School found many who suffer from sleep disturbance used social media when they could not sleep, further compounding the problem. This study also found that those who use social media more only during the day had more sleep disturbance. In addition to being a poor way to spend sleepless times at night, the light emissions upset our normal circadian rhythms as well as prevent melatonin production. There was no mention of the excessive EMF exposure experienced in the study, but I find it to be another factor to consider.

We should all be aware of how important good sleep is to our total health and mental alertness, but are we all aware of what it takes to promote an optimal quality of sleep allowing our body and brain to have the opportunity to regenerate? One very important factor in getting quality sleep, besides limiting social media exposure, is a clear airway. Most qualified medical and dental sleep specialists are very knowledgeable in these areas and may refer their patients to have airway obstructions removed, such a tonsils, adenoids, and sinus polyps, etc. There are many beneficial effects realized from these corrections, not to mention the pleasure one receives from a clear airway.

When it comes to social media, it has been well established that there are some health problems that can arise from its abuse. I know this is problem well worth studying, but from another perspective, is it interfering with your happiness and ability to enjoy your family and friends? When I am in a coffee shop and see everyone studying their phones or laptops, I see people not getting to know one another and avoiding the opportunity to build relationships and friendships or just learning something about how interesting another person can be. On a personal note, I just returned from a fishing trip where there was no social media and I was able to form great new friendships with very interesting people.

At AODTC (the Advanced Oral Diagnosis and Treatment Center) we treat pain without drugs and sleep apnea without air pressure. Getting to know our patients, more than just in and out, makes the experience far more positive and rewarding.