Joseph Lee, DDS, FICOI

Overview

Dr. Joseph Lee has become interested in treating Sleep Disordered Breathing within the realm of dentistry because there aren’t enough dental practitioners who understand how breathing is related to everyday dentistry. Improper breathing not only increases the chances of health problems, but it also affects the teeth, gums, and jaw joints. Patients with disordered breathing can also have an increased number of headaches. Understanding how poor breathing and poor sleep affects dental problems allows Dr. Lee to treat patients more comprehensively and improves patients’ quality of life. Dr. Lee uses state of the art technology to help identify and treat patients. Sleep disordered breathing is a practice that is still relatively unknown to both medical and dental practitioners alike and Dr. Lee is on the forefront of treating patients to improve their quality of life.

A high percentage of patients who have Obstructive Sleep Apnea also have jaw pain and headaches. The use of CPAP doesn’t always help any jaw pain / headache pain as the patient is still able to clench and grind their teeth which allows compression and wear on the jaw joints. Treating OSA (if applicable) with oral appliances protects the jaw joints from the destructive effects of clenching and grinding at nighttime as well as not having to use a positive pressure device. Oral appliances are portable and easy to travel with. They can be as inconspicuous as someone wearing orthodontic retainers at night so it is less embarrassing when sleeping with a partner.

Dr. Lee became interested in dentistry while spending time in his father’s dental lab while growing up in Hayward, California. He became intrigued in how dentists like his father put beautiful new porcelain teeth impressions to life. Later in life he came to realize how much such impressions can help change patients’ lives by creating a new beautiful smile for them. Not to mention that such dental work helps them speak better, feel and look their best, and eat better. He earned his undergraduate degree from U.C.L.A. and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree from the U.C.L.A. School of Dentistry. He completed his fellowship with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists in 2010 and completed training with the TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centre in 2012.

In addition to providing sleep apnea dental services, Dr. Lee also runs a full service general dentistry practice. He and his staff are skilled, caring professionals who have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of their patients. Dr. Lee utilizes cutting edge technology throughout his practice and even takes 10 times the required number of continuing education course hours to maintain his nationwide dental license. He, in particular, specializes in Tempormandibular Join Disorders (TMJ Disorders), Dental Implants, Orthodontics, Braces, Invisalign, and jaw pain and headaches.