Dr. Rosemarie Rohatgi, DMD joined the PASD Board of Directors in July 2011. She earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine from Oregon Health Sciences University. Dr. Rohatgi’s primary focus is Dental Sleep Medicine, and currently serves as President of San Diego Academy of General Dentistry. After practicing cosmetic dentistry for more than 15 years, Dr. Rohatgi found her passion in dentistry and has limited her practice to treating sleep disordered breathing, including snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This is an opportunity for her to improve the quality of life for many patients and perhaps save many lives.
As noted by The National Parkinson Foundation, sleep apnea can be seen in up to 40 percent of patients with Parkinson’s disease. In her role on the board, Dr. Rohatgi hopes to bridge the gap between dental health/sleep disorders and PD. She plans to take an active role in raising awareness regarding the importance of dental health and sleep disordered breathing for people afflicted with this disease.
Dr. Rohatgi has a personal connection with Parkinson’s as her husband’s late grandmother suffered from the disease. In addition, her interest in Parkinson’s disease has been sparked by her mother’s psychiatry practice in which she has recognized cognitive complications in Parkinson’s patients.
“Although PD is primarily considered a movement disorder, the high prevalence of psychiatric complications suggests that it is more accurately conceptualized as a neuropsychiatric disease. Affective disorders (depression and anxiety) cognitive impairment or dementia, and psychosis have long been recognized as part of PD presentation,” says Dr. Rohatgi.