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“I decided to shift my attention toward dentistry as a profession because I wanted to directly see positive change through patient interactions.”

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Spira Dental Sleep Therapy, Conroe, Texas

Aaron Glick, DDS, FAGD, was a neuroscience researcher at Brandeis University and Harvard  University before realizing he wanted a career that offered a front-row seat to the real-world applications of research. 

“I decided to shift my attention toward dentistry as a profession because I wanted to  directly see positive change through patient interactions,” Glick said.

Glick’s primary area of focus is dental sleep medicine, where he holds the titles of qualified dentist from the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. Glick sees this field as a unique opportunity to impact overall health by collaborating with medical providers.

“Sleep apnea has an influence on many medical comorbidities, and knowing that dentists have the ability to treat sleep apnea and reverse these comorbidities is extremely rewarding,” Glick said.

Oral health has direct impacts on overall health, but that connection may not be  emphasized in the education of other healthcare providers — or the general public. Glick is doing his part to change that.

“I recently had a rewarding experience after lecturing a class of second-year medical  students about the oral-systemic link,” Glick said. “I realized that I had given them their first lecture on oral health throughout their medical school experience. There is a great need to continue to expand the understanding of oral health in other health professions.”

Glick enjoys clinical care, which allows him to understand the key needs of clinicians. As a way to impact patients on a larger scale, Glick has prioritized his research endeavors. A big focus of his work is the intersection of technology, sleep apnea and dentistry. He’s explored the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) since his dental school days, when he created software using AI to automatically diagnose caries in radiographs.

“We are continuing to research the effects of human-machine interaction and how to improve the implementation of AI in the dental office,” Glick said. “A fundamental breakthrough in research or novel technology can vastly change the way dentistry is performed and the way patients receive care.”

As he looks to 2024 and beyond, Glick envisions a continued commitment to translational research and the intersection of sleep medicine, AI and technology.

“I believe that these new technologies have the potential to positively impact clinical outcomes, increase patient satisfaction and meaningfully improve each dentist’s life,” he said.