Member Profile

Gio Iuculano, DDS

Profession/Passion: Dentist/Whole Body Health

Business Name: Winchester Dental

Location: Winchester, VA

Introduced by Frank Mitchell

How did you meet Gio?

His was the first practice at which I interviewed, and his uncharacteristically friendly demeanor stood out. He's genuinely a warm individual; anyone who meets him is taken by his empathy. He's one of those individuals who you can immediately tell is honest, and he has a very high character. That much is evident. He was welcoming; we went to lunch that day, and he just had instant appeal.

What is their profession or passion?

He has a very curious mind and an active mind. Not every dentist who owns a practice is as progressive as he is. He's willing to obtain cutting-edge technology and work with it. That's the kind of practice I want to work in, and [when I met him] I immediately felt that I wanted to work with him. That kind of mindset carries through an entire organization. It's reflected in the practice personality. Behind the scenes, it's like a family atmosphere. Behind the scenes is where you get the best read on an individual, and with Gio, the face our patients get is the same one we [within the practice] get. He's a very warm individual.

What do you admire most about them?

He allows them to freely express themselves and grow at their own pace; he encourages rather than disparages. He's not one to fence people in with a rigid structure. The practice runs very efficiently. We have guidelines and we're always reviewing. The management style is effective but not oppressive. Creativity flows from one area to another, with a sense of nurturing and encouragement. I think it's also important that behind the scenes there's a lot of laughing and kidding around. I like to have that as part of my professional life. When you meet Gio, there's a positive aura. From the top down, this is what makes Winchester Dental special; he's just a genuinely good individual.

Name a few core values that best apply to Gio?

He's an A-plus individual! I trust him and his patients trust him. He is intelligent and progressive, insightful, and sensitive to the needs of his patients. It's a common thread that runs through the practice. We all try to pick up on any kind of discomfort or concern on the patients' part. He's a good listener. There are many times I'll hear a patient's story concerning a previous practice and it frequently involves the previous providers' ineffectiveness in listening to the patients' concerns.

In which categories would you recommend Gio? Please check as many as apply.

Medicine

Dr. Gio Iuculano is passionate about his work in airway-focused dentistry and whole-body health. He attended the University of Maryland prior to graduating from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. His post-graduate education includes training in the Hornbrook Group Ultimate Occlusion Program; the Great Lakes Education Center CEREC Integration; Dentistry by Design Technology Meets Artistry; and coursework at the American Academy of Cranial Facial Pain (residency program) and the ALF Educational Institute. He has focused on bite malalignments, problems with TMJs, treatment for muscle pain in the head and neck, advanced airway management and dental solutions for sleep apnea and craniofacial pain, and modern dental implant techniques.

Insight

Question:

Airway-centered dentistry and holistic dental treatment options can help resolve—and in some cases, can even help prevent—certain serious health issues. Many of these options are more comfortable and and more effective than traditional treatments, but dental schools are only beginning to offer specialty coursework in these areas. How do we encourage new and seasoned dentists to learn about and offer such treatment options, so that all patients can receive the benefits that these options provide?

Solution:

It is my belief that the mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body. It is a precept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that the mouth must be healthy in order to heal the rest of the body. As dentists, we must acknowledge that the benefits of oral health treatment go far beyond a corrected bite and a beautiful smile; with proper training, we can provide oral health treatment that leads to profound improvement in a patient’s overall health.

When we work with a patient’s TMJ (temporomandibular joint) and airway, we are directly working with two conditions that have significant effects on growing children and on the long-term health of adults. A compromised airway in a child can limit him or her from reaching their fullest potential in life; can you imagine going through life breathing at only a percentage of your capacity? Similarly, an adult with a compromised TMJ or airway is more at risk for long-term chronic disease conditions that can shorten their lifespan. In many cases, traditional treatments may be uncomfortable, costly, and only partially effective, while the most recent dental treatment protocols for these conditions can comfortably and affordably help to restore a patient’s overall health.

It takes someone willing to venture from their comfort zone to learn a new field that is way outside the everyday dental procedures we do. It takes someone who is willing to stand out from the rest, driven to want to learn the latest, and genuinely seeking to offer patients the very best in modern healthcare.

When I look at these topics, my personal feeling is: How can I not want to know everything that is possible to learn? How can one not push him or herself to better serve each patient’s need to be a healthier and happier individual in this world? In many cases, treatments in these two health areas that many dentists see and work with every day can lead to some of the most dramatic improvements in an individual’s life. While dental schools ramp up their course offerings in these areas, I offer these specific recommendations for new and seasoned dentists seeking to help their patients reach outstanding overall health through excellent oral health:

Take as many CE courses in these areas as you can. Dentistry is constantly changing, and the best way to keep up with constant change is to invest in education. Besides learning about the newest treatment protocols and technology, the networking you’ll do with other course attendees will be invaluable.
Apply for an NIH Dental Clinical Research Fellowship to do research in the areas of airway-centered dentistry or other holistic dental treatment options. This will provide you invaluable learning and direct access to world-class research.
Look for partnering opportunities with dentists who already practice a whole-body treatment philosophy. I cannot emphasize this enough. There is so much to be gained from collaboration!
Read these books on these topics:

- Mew, J. (2014). The Cause and Cure of Malocclusion. (self-published)
- Park, S. (2008). Sleep, Interrupted. New York: Jodev Press.
- Ramirez-Yáñez, G. (2009). Early Treatment of Malocclusion: Prevention and Interception in Primary Dentition. Cúcuta, Colombia: J. Ramirez Press.
- Singh, G. D. and Krumholtz, J. A. (2009). Epigenetic Orthodontics in Adults. Chatsworth, CA: Smile Foundation.

Seize the day and change someone’s life for the better!

Go Deeper

Investment in Your Team is Investment in Your Practice: An Interview with Gio Iuculano, DDS of Winchester Dental

Patients and referral partners of Winchester Dental in Winchester, Virginia regularly praise the practice for providing innovative, excellent dental care and an outstanding office experience---in fact, some patients travel regularly from other areas of the country for treatment. In addition to general dentistry, the practice provides modern, holistic dental treatment for related health issues. How did Winchester Dental evolve, and what drives its success? Practice leader Gio Iuculano, DDS explains.

Call to Action

Read Dr. Gio’s in-depth interviews on the importance of nasal breathing and early orthodontic treatment.

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