{"id":46072,"date":"2024-01-10T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T14:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.foresthillsconnection.com\/?p=46072"},"modified":"2024-01-09T20:28:41","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T01:28:41","slug":"local-business-spotlight-the-dentist-who-can-help-you-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foresthillsconnection.com\/news\/local-business-spotlight-the-dentist-who-can-help-you-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Local Business Spotlight: The dentist who can help you sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

The journey to better sleep could start inside your mouth. <\/p>\n

Dr. Sareeta Gupta practiced general dentistry when she founded her dental practice at Van Ness Center 13 years ago. Five years ago, she transitioned to sleep dentistry and founded Sleep Well DC (sleepwelldc.net<\/a>). <\/p>\n

What is sleep dentistry<\/a>? It’s not to be confused with sedation dentistry, and you will not be put under at Dr. Gupta’s office. Her patients are there to be fitted with oral appliances that are worn at night to control obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. In severe cases, these devices can be used in concert with CPAP machines. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

An example of a sleep apnea dental appliance, this one manufactured by ProSomnus.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sleep apnea is a serious health issue. As her Sleep Well DC website notes<\/a>, contributing factors include “the relaxation of throat muscles, the tongue, tonsils, or the soft palate falling backward into the throat.” The signs and symptoms include “snoring, sudden gasping and choking during sleep, persistent fatigue and daytime drowsiness, and complaints of morning headaches.”<\/p>\n

In our conversation, Gupta further described obstructive sleep apnea as “many little moments when you’re not able to breathe, many little shocks to the heart, night after night.” <\/p>\n

Sleep dentists are not allowed to diagnose the issue, however. Patients can see their own doctors if they suspect sleep apnea is behind their snoring or poor sleep. Or, Gupta can provide a sleep monitoring device and send the results to a third-party physician for analysis and diagnosis. She said when the results reveal a severe case, she refers patients to a local doctor for further consultation. <\/p>\n

Gupta told Forest Hills Connection that when she discovered sleep dentistry, she felt she found her true calling. <\/p>\n

“This is solely what I do now, because I love it so much, and it’s medicine. I’m just ready to do something different, and my hope is to serve as many people as I can,” Gupta said. <\/p>\n

She also described the office space that’s been her work home these past 13 years as a wonderful discovery. Gupta was not looking in the District at all, but closer to Vienna, where she lived at the time. <\/p>\n

“One day a dental practice broker called to say, ‘I think I have exactly what you want.'” And it was. “Seven-hundred square feet, two chairs. It’s my vision. A boutique, lovely little practice.” <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

In Dr. Sareeta Gupta’s Van Ness Center office.<\/p><\/div>\n

Gupta soon realized that the Van Ness neighborhood also felt<\/em> like home. <\/p>\n

“I grew up in this area, basically, and for some reason, that Van Ness area, I liked it as a young girl,” Gupta said. “What I like is you’re in the city without being in the city. I like the sophistication, the quietness, the refinement, the good manners. It is polished, exactly the way I grew up. It makes me feel my parents are with me. It’s a sense of comfort. It just fits. It feels right.” <\/p>\n

Gupta’s parents were from India. Her father was also a dentist, and he taught at Howard University. For a time, he was the chair of the periodontics division at Howard’s School of Dentistry. Her “equally brilliant” mother, Gupta said, was adept at raising her and her two brothers in a “mix of eastern and western” cultures. Her brothers went on to become medical doctors. All three siblings attended Howard. <\/p>\n

Gupta’s transition from general to sleep dentistry started with a course. She found that she loved it, so she found mentors, continued her studies, and pursued certifications. She started Sleep Well DC in 2018, and though she had all of the credentials necessary at that time, Gupta went a step further in her studies. In December 2022, she received a certification as a Diplomate in Dental Sleep Medicine by the American Sleep and Breathing Academy. <\/p>\n

In her career, and in her practice, Gupta said, “I do a lot of research, and it takes some time, [sometimes] years before I make a decision. I need to feel good about it before I can offer it.” <\/p>\n

And the effort pays off, she said. “It is extremely gratifying when a patient says ‘Thank you. I have not felt this good in a long time.'” <\/p>\n

Sleep Well DC<\/a> is located at Van Ness Center (the Giant Food building) at 4301 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 146. You can contact the office at 202-244-4010.<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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