San Diego Dentist Tells Poway That He Cares

For Poway dentist, it's much more than filling cavities
By: Peijean Tsai

Individuals suffering with ailments such as sleep disorders, vertigo, or headaches might not typically visit a dentist for help, but Poway Dentist Dr. Paul Coleman is breaking from the mold of general dentistry to treat these difficult conditions, continually seeking new and advanced techniques.

For example, Coleman uses oral appliance therapy to reposition the mandible of an individual with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where individuals periodically stop breathing through the night. It’s less invasive and more comfortable, he said, than the traditional solution: a CPAP, or a mask worn during sleep that directly ventilates the airway.

“This (oral appliance therapy) is a very cool way to help people and to improve their lives,” said Coleman, noting that untreated sleep apnea causes day time fatigue and impairment.

Meanwhile, those suffering with sleep apnea often rely only on ears/nose/throat doctors or sleep specialists, and will sometimes avoid seeking treatment entirely because they don’t want to wear a CPAP.

“There’s a whole host of things that are affected when we don’t sleep properly,” he added, mentioning that individuals with untreated sleep apnea are more likely to suffer from heart attack or stroke, adult diabetes and gastric reflux.

Coleman, who has practiced in Poway 28 years, heads the Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry at 12324 Oak Knoll Road in Poway. As the name implies, the center does work such as bleaching and full mouth rehabilitation, to rebuild the mouth in a better position to make muscles comfortable. But his office runs the gamut of services, including sedation dentistry, athletic mouthpieces, Invisalign for orthodontics, laser gum therapy and surgical implants.

Coleman also treats challenging conditions, such as frequent headaches and migraines, vertigo, facial twitches, jaw clicking, and insomnia. Using dentistry techniques rather than medication, he tackles these conditions from a neuromuscular approach, such as treating the temporal mandibular joint, or TMJ, which connects the mandible to the cranium and can be a source of pain when dysfunction is present.

“I offer solutions to problems that people wouldn’t even think about going to a dentist for,” he said.

Describing himself as an avid participant in continuing education courses, Dr. Paul Coleman also regularly seeks better approaches for general dentistry procedures in his office. For instance, he uses CT head scans rather than X-rays in surgical implant planning. It’s a more accurate method to gauge precisely where to place surgical implants, he said.

Dr. Paul Coleman, who graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, previously ran a general dentistry firm, but got interested in neuromuscular and TMJ dentistry and other advanced techniques when, in 2000, he enrolled at Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, he said. Three years ago, he delved into treating sleep disorders and said he hopes to continue to build upon this area.

The Center itself also is a bit unexpected from the usual dentist office. There are blankets, freshly baked cookies and coffee. TVs are mounted on the ceiling for patients to watch as they receive treatment. Coleman described it as a “spa” where patients are known as “guests.”

It’s important to Coleman to provide a calming environment, as people have different levels of apprehension when going to the dentist.

“It’s a nice, quiet place where they can relax. I’m trying to get people’s anxieties to drop,” he said, noting that those who are less apprehensive will be proactive about going to the dentist for preventative treatment, not just when they have emergencies.

In the past, Coleman’s dental office had a dozen dentists and saw 50 patients a day. But these days he chooses to see maybe half a dozen patients a day.

“We’ve taken high volume out of the equation,” he said. “It’s a little more intimate, and a little more quiet.”

Coleman can be reached at 858-748-4802 or online at www.drpaulcoleman.com.

Publication: Poway Chieftain
Date: 6.23.10 - 10:52am
Author: Peijean Tsai

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