Caitlin M. Barts I 30
Doctor of Dental Surgery
Hometown: Rochester, IN
Current Locaflon: Rochester, IN
Caitlin enjoys hobbies of outdoor activities, reading, painting and spending time with the family. Outside of Fulton County, Caitlin has enjoyed working with young children at the Indianapolis International School of Indiana as well as her many mission trips to Jamaica working in orphanages and helping a small community in Mexico build a church. She says she feels blessed to be a part of a small community and participate in supporting local small businesses.
Caitlin's education. that led her in the direction of her career began. at Butler University where she pursued a major In Chemistry and minors In Biology and Art. She completed her masters In Biology at IUPUI and was accepted Into the IU School of Dentistry In 2012.
Dental school developed Caitlin's professional and medical knowledge along with clinical skills that prepared her to take over her father's practice in Rochester. Indiana. Her father practiced dentistry through his diagnosis of Lyme disease until Caltin graduated and could take over. In June of 2016, Caitlin became the business owner of Rochester Dental Center.
Caitlin's focus is not to push fellow women into dentistry. but to showcase her unique perspective as a female dentist. She Is excited to be apart a generation with more women joining the dental world by becoming Doctors of Dental Surgery, as well as specialists In this field.
"I am extremely honored to be a part of this unique profession and seeing women pave their way in a previously male dominate area."
"(I am)Surrounded by an amazing team and could not do my job without them!"
Every day the team at Rochester Dental Center strives for excellence. They enjoy educating their patients on the importance of oral hygiene and the connection to the rest of the body! Too often dental hygiene is not made a priority. The oral cavity is intricately connected to the rest of the body. A majority of the nutrition that enters your body is through the oral cavity. It has to be able to handle extreme temperatures ranging from hot and cold, saliva is important to help buffer and break down food and drinks taken in. Saliva plays a large role in helping food and drink move through the oral cavity down into the throat, as well as preventing cavities. Teeth are the hardest bone in the body and maintenance is critical for every day function in chewing, talking and smiling.
"Dentists are not only trained to detect cavities but it is our job to evaluate the health of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), look for cancerous or benign lesions in the bone and oral tissues. As doctors of the head and neck region, we are also responsible for looking for abnormalities on the skin, head and neck lymph nodes, including tonsils and adenoids."
Dr. Caitlin expresses that more and more research has proven the importance of oral hygiene and the link systemically. Examples of this include periodontal disease and its association with cardiovascular disease as well as early term labor and poor oral hygiene. The oral cavity can express other systemic issues occurring such as if a patient suffers from acid reflux or gastrointestinal reflux disorder (GERD). The airway and relation to the mandible or lower jaw are interconnected and can lead to sleep apnea or trouble breathing.
In addition to having an exam completed by the dentist to look for abnormalities, the oral cavity contains a large unique environment of different types of bacteria. This is why Dr. Caitlin stresses the importance of having your teeth cleaned every six months to clean out and disrupt this colonization of bacteria and maintain a healthy mouth, prevent tooth decay as well as bad breathe.
Dr. Caitlin claims oral cavities not only affect the body's physical health but psychological health, "A patient who is not happy with their smile due to broken teeth in front or tooth decay is affected daily and reminded every time they smile." She understands that fear of the dentist also plays a large role psychologically and ensures that as a team, the Rochester Dental Center, provides a welcoming and comforting environment to help ease their patient's anxiety.
Along with our everyday dental work our team at the Rochester Dental Center loves to be involved in the Fulton County community. Caitlin is a member of the Optimist Club in Rochester, Kiwanis club and a board member of the Chamber of Commerce. She loves giving back to the youth of the community and regularly donates to Shop with a Cop, Camp We Can, High School sporting sponsors, 4H Fair, Youth Soccer and the Animal Shelter to name a few.
www.bartsdentalcenter.com