Dr. Ben Pliska
As a leading researcher, Dr. Pliska regularly speaks across Canada and the United States on his academic expertise. His research efforts are focused on how the form and function of the face and upper airway are related to growth and development and obstructive sleep apnea disease in children and adults. The broad objectives of his research are to investigate how growth and development of the craniofacial complex affects, and in turn, is affected by obstructive sleep breathing disorders, and to develop evidence-based protocols for the orthopedic treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. In many ways, his expertise overlaps both Orthodontics and Sleep Medicine, and his work facilitates a synergistic approach between these fields for the management of obstructive sleep disorders.
About Ben
Dr. Ben Pliska’s dental training began at the University of Western Ontario, where he was honored to serve as Class President and to graduate at the top of his class as the Gold Medalist in Dentistry. Following dental school, Dr. Pliska pursued specialty training in Orthodontics at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he was granted a Certificate in Orthodontics and Master’s Degree in Dentistry. Following graduation, Dr. Pliska was recruited to join the faculty in the Graduate Orthodontic Program at the University of Minnesota as Assistant Clinical Professor, and later happily returned home to Canada to join the Faculty of Dentistry in the Graduate Orthodontic Program at the University of British Columbia.
As a certified specialist in Orthodontics and a fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada, Dr. Pliska is proud to contribute to the education, health, and wellbeing of the greater Vancouver community. He is an active member of the BC Society of Orthodontists (BCSO), Canadian Association of Orthodontists (CAO), and American Association of Orthodontists (AAO).
Dr. Pliska lives in Vancouver with his wife Dr. Roxana Saldarriaga, a local Prosthodontist, and their children Isabella and Sebastian. In his spare time, Dr. Pliska enjoys exploring the outdoors of the lower mainland with his family – on bikes, kayaks or skis.
