Meet Dr. Burhenne: Quip Dental Advisor

When quip launched, we were the first oral care brand to take a truly fresh (excuse the pun!) approach to this, at times, unfashionable industry. As a result, we were lucky to meet many of the top experts in the field while searching for a dental advisor to call our own. It wasn’t easy to find the perfect fit – someone focused purely on the health of their patients, who emphasized the importance of good habits and the effect of oral care on the whole body - that is until we met "Dr. B"!

How we met Dr. B

By chance, Dr. B’s daughter Catharine came across our messaging online, realized how aligned we were with Mark’s oral health mission, and reached out to connect further. After the first in-depth phone call, it became instantly clear that Mark was the dentist we wanted to partner with for the long haul! Dr. B soon joined our team as our Chief Dental Advisor – and our relationship with him is only just beginning. So we thought we should take a few minutes to introduce you to the man who continues to teach us everything we know - the very same knowledge and tips that we then pass on to you!

Dr. B's Background

Dr. B attended the University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco. In his bio, Dr. B writes, “In my 30 years of practice as a dentist, I’ve seen a lot of misinformation and people who have fallen through the cracks due to our healthcare system’s failure to understand the oral-body connection” – which is where his focus on “whole body care” really started. Dr. B is passionate about getting people the right information they need to be healthy – a passion we share! He founded askthedentist.com in 2010 as an avenue to advance that passion. Ask the Dentist promotes oral health for total wellness and empowers people to understand how the mouth is a window into the health of the rest of the body. Ask the Dentist is fast becoming one of the sources for the best dental advice on the net and is a resource we are particularly fond of.

Dr. B today

Mark is constantly staying at the forefront of oral health knowledge through his membership in the Santa Clara Periodontal Study Club, the Academy of General Dentists, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and the Tucker Cast Gold Study Club. He focused his passion for “whole body” health with the release of his 2015 book, The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox, which focuses on our misconception that quantity of sleep is enough for good health and was a #1 bestseller in multiple Amazon health categories! Dr. B’s practice won the local 2015 Patients’ Choice Award from Opencare, and he has volunteered as a dental surgeon in Nigeria and spoken at TEDx conferences. He has featured as an expert in numerous sources, including CNN, Dr. Oz, Huff Post, Yahoo!, Men’s Health, Glamour and more! Dr. B has three daughters and lives with his wife and dog, Remy, in California. He likes downhill skiing, biking, photography, and listening to jazz and classical records.

Get to know Dr. B!

What got you into dentistry?

The aspect of a small business and being self-employed with the ability to improve and change people's lives.

What do you hate about it?!

The aspect of a small business and being self-employed!

what is the future of dentistry?

Very bright, as long as it grows into what it should be – that is fully realizing the recognition of and treatment for the oral systemic connection.

If you could ask everyone to do one (specific) technical thing better, what would it be?

Listen to your dentist of course. If only! Ok, that’s a bit unrealistic. Replace one’s toothbrush heads more often!

What is the biggest myth you hear repeated by patients?

"That I grind my teeth at night because I’m stressed.” It’s becoming clear that this is not the case. Grinding one’s teeth may indicate other issues involving sleep.

Gross fact that will encourage us all to brush before bed!

Your partner may want to kiss you in the morning, if they only knew what was growing in there a few hours prior!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Blogging dental health, photography, mountain biking, skiing (never enough), and spinning vinyl.

Where would you go in a time machine?

I’d go back to 1935 and travel with Dr.Weston Price (a dentist) and pick his brain and document his journeys with my camera. That guy had it figured out well before his time. Functional medicine owes him a lot. We need to bring dental health and practice to the forefront of overall health again. Medicine and dentistry need to collaborate more.

What three items would you bring to a desert island (apart from quip...of course ;) ?

A solar panel and an iPod with headphones. And a toothbrush is pretty high on this list. Will you send me replacement heads on this island?

To see more from Dr. Mark Burhenne
Visit his blog at AskTheDentist.com