Zachary Reiff has focus on treating patients with sleep apnea

EASTHAMPTON—Mountain View Dental has hired a third dentist, Zachary Reiff of South Hadley, a 2015 Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine graduate who brings a focus in treating patients with sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.

On Aug. 12, Reiff joined dentists Seth Eichenlaub and Michael Szostak at the practice. Eichenlaub has worked at Mountain View Dental since 2010 and Szostak for 34 years. Reiff brings the total number of staff at the practice to 15.

“We’re very happy to have recruited Zach,” said Eichenlaub. “He’s a very talented dentist and will no doubt complement our practice with his unique skillset that includes his expertise in sleep medicine.”

Reiff takes the work of fitting patients with a dental appliance to treat a sleep disorder to a level he said is uncommon in dentistry; he partners with a sleep physician to ensure that the appliance he created is effective in improving the patient’s sleep pattern and, thus, overall health.

He learned this approach from his brother Mark, a sleep physician in North Carolina.

Reiff begins the process of working with a patient on a sleep issue by obtaining his or her sleep study prescription from their physician. After a conversation about insurance and cost, he makes impressions, from which the dental appliance is created.

“There are 180 different devices and based on what the patient is experiencing, we custom select the appropriate appliance,” he explained. “These devices, which look like clear retainers, are typically for people who don’t want to or can’t use a CPAP machine.”

Once a patient is fitted for an appliance, Reiff conducts a sleep study, and when he is satisfied the device is working, he refers the patient back to the physician for a final study and medical evaluation. “We don’t send them off and say, ‘Good luck,’” Reiff said. “We need to make sure it’s doing what it should be doing, which is ensuring that someone is still breathing at night.”

Reiff hopes to learn more about sleep apnea as his career advances.

He said Mountain View Dental’s reputation for providing quality dental care with compassion is what attracted him to move to this area from Virginia, where he worked at the Morrison Dental Group in Williamsburg for the past two and a half years. Reiff and his wife, Rebecca, now live in South Hadley.

He said he and Mountain View Dental both have a patient-centered approach. “I’m looking forward to working with an experienced, cohesive team at an office that has good staff retention,” he said. 

“It is critical to create a mutual relationship of trust between dentist and patient,” Reiff added, noting he understands peoples’ anxiety about dentistry and works to have a light demeanor with patients. “I’ve been in the chair quite a bit in my own life, including having eight teeth removed at the same time, so I can empathize with what they’re experiencing.”

Mountain View Dental was founded over 50 years ago by solo practitioner Joseph Zilewicz in its current location of 5 Campus Lane in downtown Easthampton. Staff specialize in all aspects of general dentistry including implant restoration, child dentistry, root canals, extractions, dentures, cosmetic work and, now, producing dental appliances for sleep apnea patients.

Eichenlaub said Mountain View Dental is well-respected in the community. “Our patients are our neighbors and friends,” he said. “We’ve created an environment where we help patients arrive at a decision that best fits their needs. We do cosmetic work, but our practice is more about keeping people healthy.”

For more information about Mountain View Dental, visit www.mv-dental.com. To learn about the dentists, visit www.mv-dental.com/about-mvd/meet-our-doctors/.

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In 2016, Keller, a dentist for over two decades, provided care at no cost to five area residents who were nominated by friends or family and chosen from nine potential candidates. She plans to offer the program again to five new nominees who wish to improve their dental health but may be limited by difficult financial circumstances.

Through Dec. 19, Strong & Healthy Smiles will accept nominations, and Keller said she hopes the effort will help to support dental wellness in the Pioneer Valley.

“Dental care is an incredibly important part of whole body wellness, and if left untreated, dental problems can lead to more serious consequences,” Keller said, adding, “This year, we have made special efforts to strengthen our bonds with our community and to reach out to those who have not been able to access our quality of care.”

There are no financial limitations placed on the level of services Dr. Keller will provide for each nominee, but laboratory fees for expenses such as dentures must be covered by each patient, she said.

As part of the “Sharing Smiles” program, Keller and her team will also coach the five candidates to improve their home care, as well as offer preventive maintenance and additional professional treatment.

“Preventing damage is the best way to take care of your smile. The next best thing is to correct a problem as soon as it occurs. When problems go unaddressed, the difficulty and the cost of treatment increase,” she said. “Once we help get their teeth and gums in good health, they can better maintain that health, and experience more comfort, predictability and joy in their smiles.”

Keller explained that her staff—which she has dubbed the “Smile Team”—has a special interest in taking care of adults with dental anxieties. The team prides itself on a friendly approach to patient care and comfort, and a strong preventive care program for treatment of cavities and gum disease.

Advanced preventive techniques include testing the saliva of high cavity risk patients and looking for issues with diet, health and homecare that might contribute to dental health problems. Other key pieces in preventive care are addressing bite issues, before teeth are cracked as a result, or gum issues, before they weaken the bone or spread infection to the body.

Strong & Healthy Smiles also seeks area businesses who may wish to “Sponsor a Smile,” in order to expand this free service to more deserving individuals.

To nominate someone for the “Sharing Smiles” program, email a one-page letter explaining why the person you are nominating deserves a year of free dental care to shsinfo@strongandhealthysmiles.com. For more information, call 413-586-9363.

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