Dr. Mark Antosz, DDM, D Ortho, MRCD(C), FCDSBC
Dr. Mark Antosz always knew he picked the right career and decades later he found out his father wanted to be a dentist, too. “Dad never said anything until 30 years later,” the orthodontic specialist says. “But his father was a Polish immigrant who worked as a cook on the trains -they just couldn’t afford it.”
Dr. Antosz’s father, who passed away earlier this year, had an exceptional career as a pharmacist. “He had a gentle way of making you think but never pushed; I never knew I was living his dream.” Dr. Antosz had a successful general practice in the early 80s and has made orthodontics his sole focus for the past 30 years. “Orthodontics takes more of a big picture look at the patient’s dental health,” he says. “You can do the best dentistry in the world but it will fail if you don’t have a healthy bite. That’s where the orthodontist comes in.”
Dr. Antosz believes that he can help people the most at either end of the age spectrum. Growth correction for younger children can make a world of difference and prevent more complicated and invasive treatment when they’re older. And for the older patients, it is often about dealing with failing teeth and jaw problems with a view to having a healthier and happier older age. “One of the big growth areas in my practice has been in adults, in particular people in their 50s,” he says. “They often knew there were problems, but it seems when we hit our 50s the wheels start to come off a bit and the issues get worse.”
“With some there is the misconception that orthodontics is expensive. That’s actually not true. Orthodontists are often called on to correct bite problems and reduce the amount of more expensive dentistry the patient would require otherwise. And if we have the opportunity to help the patient at a younger age before the big problems start, it really is a small investment when you consider the big picture.”
“It’s been fun to see the evolution in my specialty, and it’s changing even more as we move towards digital impressions, 3D printing and creating our own clear aligners. It’s been even more fun seeing second and third generations of the families we’ve worked with over the decades. We really feel our team is a part of the community.”
Dr. Antosz is located at:
Market Mall Professional Centre – #406 4935 40th Ave NW, Calgary, AB
403.768.3855 – www.antoszorthodontics.com
