Lately, numerous amounts of questions have arisen on the topic concerning the connection between oral health and overall health. Does the former really affect the latter? How is someone possibly at risk for heart disease or low birth weight babies if the apparent problem is only in his/her mouth?
Our bodies are not a jumble of different mechanisms forming one walking, talking unit. Each of the body’s systems — the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the endocrine system, etc. — work in unison to keep us living in steady homeostasis! If one system fails or malfunctions, it gradually leads to another system losing its ability to function properly, and it spirals downward from there.
Inflamed parts of your body can lead to further inflammation or infection in other parts. Periodontitis is the body’s response to harmful bacteria left in your mouth. Periodontitis — ahem gum disease, if severe enough and untreated long enough, will, in fact, set off other inflammatory mechanisms in your body, leading to such things as diabetes, cardiovascular (heart) disease, and preterm and low birth weight babies. And gum disease is common — it can happen to anyone.
Don’t ignore the significance of this link. Good oral hygiene is serious!
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Traumatic Dental Injuries: Root Fractures
The definition of a root fracture is exactly that — a fractured root.
In the tooth, of course.
Root fractures are horizontal cracks near the root of your tooth, occurring beneath the gum line (therefore requiring x-rays to find… when telltale pain and wiggly teeth first bring you to the dentist). The location of the fracture in relation to the ends of the tooth, the tip of the root (the apex) or the tips of the crown (the visible chewing surface), determines the lasting strength and health left in the tooth. The closer the fracture is to the root tip, the better the chances of a successful healing are. But the closer the fracture is to the crown, chances are it will not successfully heal on its own. A splint is also designed for this type of injury, to be worn temporarily as the tooth heals (if, of course, the fracture is minor enough to be left alone). If the pulp inside the tooth is damaged, a root canal may be required to disinfect and seal off the problematic area.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Traumatic Dental Injuries: Avulsed Teeth
An avulsed tooth means it has fallen out — or been knocked out — completely. Even though it has been separated from your mouth, the tooth can still be saved if you act quickly. Try not to touch the root part of the tooth when you pick it up, and use only water to rinse it off if it is dirty. You must see a dentist immediately to try and put it back into its socket. Until that time, the more moist you can keep the tooth (i.e. by keeping it in a glass of water or milk with a pinch of salt), the better your chances will be of saving the tooth. Otherwise, if the tooth becomes infected or dies, an artificial tooth will probably have to replace it.
If, however, your dentist was able to salvage your real tooth and put it back into your socket, and design a splint to hold it in place for a while as it heals and re-stabilizes in your mouth. A root canal may be required to avoid or eliminate infection. The length of time the tooth was out of your mouth and the way the tooth was preserved will influence the decisions made on how your treatment will be carried out.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Traumatic Dental Injuries: Dislodged Teeth
To have a dislodged tooth means the tooth has been moved from its natural position. Either it may have been pushed further into its socket, in which case the tooth will look “shorter” than the rest around it; or it will have been pushed partially out of its socket, which means it will be hanging down further than the rest of your teeth. Both cases may cause extreme discomfort and pain, and a trip to the dentist or endodontist is required to reposition and re-stabilize the tooth. Depending on whether the tooth’s pulp is affected, a root canal may or may not be needed. The dentist will closely monitor the progress of the tooth’s healing and the recovery process until regularity is restored.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Traumatic Dental Injuries: Chipped Or Fractured Teeth
Describing a chipped or fractured tooth as an injury is pretty self-explanatory. This kind of injury can range from a minor chip to a split extending from the crown/cusp to the apex (tip of the root), requiring a simple filling or full-on root canal and restoration treatment, respectively. If the tooth’s pulp is exposed, sterility and speed of repair are crucial in preserving the tooth’s life and health, and to prevent infections that lead to more difficult problems. A root canal is often called for because cracks in the teeth do, in fact, affect the pulp if they are large enough, and in either case the strength of the tooth overall is diminished. Sometimes part or all of the tooth must be replaced if its original durability and function are lost.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
Dental Injuries & Treatment
Ouch! This topic may not be so pleasant to visualize. But harm does come to folks’ teeth all too often, maybe because of a car accident, a sports or recreational accident, or some other dreadful mishap. Children are most apt to suffer much damage because of their activity levels and still-developing mouth.
When I say tooth damage, this does not always refer to the visible damage you might see on the surface (the crowns), such as an obviously chipped or broken tooth. A significant amount goes on beneath what can be seen without x-rays or probing about. If an injury causes a tooth to move from its original position, the tooth’s pulp (nerves, blood vessels, etc.), dentin, and the surrounding bone and gums could very well be damaged as well, and that’s where things can get tricky and painful.
We will cover a few kinds of injuries and how they may be fixed over the next few days.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Cosmetic Dentistry That Lasts
Cosmetic dentistry is the artsy part of dentistry — where we get to give your teeth makeovers. But cosmetic dentistry is more than just making your teeth look good on the outside. The beauty must go further than skin deep (er… enamel-deep…?). What if a crown or restoration conflicts with the way the opposing teeth bite against it? That seems like an obvious problem, but if you are not aware of how much a tiny adjustment can impact your entire jaw/head, then it is, in fact, an issue that must be approached with special care and consideration.
In most cases, though, it will be the restoration that shows signs of deterioration first. Cracking, chipping, even falling off altogether… and this may harm whatever natural tooth or tissues are bonded to this restoration. Pankey takes great care in training its dentists to take careful measures to ensure cosmetic improvements will also be functional and long-lasting. A little extra time and effort may go into forming a nicely fitted restoration, but the longterm benefits outweigh the initial installation process.
Perfectly colored or straight-looking teeth are only the tip of the iceberg!
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Healthy Gums, Healthy Body
Lately, numerous amounts of questions have arisen on the topic concerning the connection between oral health and overall health. Does the former really affect the latter? How is someone possibly at risk for heart disease or low birth weight babies if the apparent problem is only in his/her mouth?
Our bodies are not a jumble of different mechanisms forming one walking, talking unit. Each of the body’s systems — the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the endocrine system, etc. — work in unison to keep us living in steady homeostasis! If one system fails or malfunctions, it gradually leads to another system losing its ability to function properly, and it spirals downward from there.
Inflamed parts of your body can lead to further inflammation or infection in other parts. Periodontitis is the body’s response to harmful bacteria left in your mouth. Periodontitis — ahem gum disease, if severe enough and untreated long enough, will, in fact, set off other inflammatory mechanisms in your body, leading to such things as diabetes, cardiovascular (heart) disease, and preterm and low birth weight babies. And gum disease is common — it can happen to anyone.
Don’t ignore the significance of this link. Good oral hygiene is serious!
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Interdisciplinary Oral Health Care
Another extremely important trait that The Pankey Institute develops in its dentists’ methods is consultation of fellow dentists or other specialists in order to get the best possible input, and thus make the wisest, most beneficial decision for the patient in certain cases. Dentists don’t know everything! This is why he/she may refer you to an endodontist (tooth-innards specialist) if the insides of your teeth — the pulp, nerve, etc. — are infected; or maybe an orthodontist for braces; or a periodontist for gum disease or dental implantation. A dentist practicing general dentistry may not have the expertise an oral surgeon might… and so on.
All of these experts schedule extra time — outside of daily office appointments and patients’ time spent in the chair — to compare opinions, knowledge, and information… “teaming up”, if you will. This is called Interdisciplinary Dental Care. Interdisciplinary Dental Care is extremely valuable for bringing you the best possible results.
And taking a second… or third… or twentieth… approach to a certain problem is never a bad idea, right?
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Comprehensive Co-Discovery Examination
As postgraduates at Pankey, they teach us how to develop a comprehensive style of dentistry, which means a lot of time is spent gathering a patient’s information — dental history, past dental experiences, current state of oral health, questions/concerns/desires/needs, etc. — and forming customized solutions that cater perfectly to these factors. A patient may come in for a complete comprehensive examination to see where he/she stands orally. The patient is very involved in the process of discovering which kind of treatments or improvements are most wanted or needed; this allows both the patient and dentist to form a sturdy relationship, bringing a source of ongoing assistance and the best of dental treatment to the patient.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
The Pankey Institute
This institute is well-known in the dental field for its excellency and quality of continued dental education; namely, a school to refine dental skills and produce professional, well-rounded practitioners. We are trained to develop a comprehensive style of dentistry, treating each individual patient with the utmost care and concern, always on the lookout for his/her best interests and specific needs.
This comprehensive approach is what brings you the friendly, professional experience from the time you walk in the door and speak with the receptionist to when you exit with your long-lasting, functional pearly whites. Finding the balance between professionality, top-notch quality, and warm personalities in a dental office are important for bringing you the best dental experience possible, lasting for generations… and, in my practice, this is priority.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com