In Hawaii, our vacation home host works at a surfboard manufacturing shop. I was curious about the trade, so I took my son and daughter-in-law inside the shop to see if we could get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes (rather, behind the rows and rows of colorful boards found in shops on every corner on the North Shore!) process of surfboard making. May as well since we were already there! Though many people surf in Los Angeles, I think it would be harder to just walk in the back door of a random surfboard place and “demand” a tour.
The white (often colored) boards we usually see are made out of polyurethane or polystyrene foam. Balsa and other light woods are also commonly used, only they are much more expensive than the foam boards. The shape and size of the board is sanded down to resemble what looks exactly like a surfboard carved out of fancy styrofoam or wood. Much care is taken in measuring the shapes, sizes, and weights of the boards. Then layers of fiberglass, cloth, paint (for designs), and resins are applied to form the complete product. We saw some beautiful boards, including a custom-made decorative one made out of several different hardwoods.
Being a dentist, I couldn’t help but compare the similarities in this process, and the restoration process used in CEREC system, which I have and definitely use. When a tooth needs restoration, the CEREC system records a digital image of the tooth’s structure, and within a matter of hours, carves out a perfect crown/filling out of a small block of ceramic inside a special machine (many demonstrations of this were held at the ADA Session). The faulty tooth is sanded down ever so slightly, and then, after some refining, fitting, and adjusting of the occlusion, the crown/filling is bonded or cemented right where it needs to be, fitting perfectly with the other teeth. It’s quite amazing.
Aloha!
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
XDR Digital Radiography
By reading the information provided on this website, there’s almost no need for me to explain…well, anything! I’ve been using this system for a while now, and it is far superior to any other. The picture is clear and sharp, yet captures the depth of the x-rayed area so thoroughly that it makes it much easier to see what is beneath the surface in your mouth. This increases dental precision and effectiveness.
What’s also great is that all of the files, pictures, x-rays, and records for each patient are stored digitally. No more sorting through gigantic file cabinets or spilling a super-thick folder’s contents all over the ground, mixing up patients’ films and records. As long as you take measures to keep your internet reliable (utilize at least two methods; for example, use cable/DSL as your primary source, and satellite as your backup), this is definitely a great time, money, and space saver.
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
http://www.xdr-radiology.com/index.htm
TMJ Disorder & Treatment
Always be paying attention to signs and signals your body gives you. If you’re hungry, eat something nourishing. If you’re tired, get some rest. If you don’t feel well, try to cut out habits that might be detrimental to your health. Make time to take care of yourself.
This includes your dental health as well. If, for some reason, you are in good health but still experience headaches, neck aches, ear pain, jaw pain, jaw clicking/popping/crookedness, bruxing, stiffness or pain while chewing, or any other unexplained symptom in your jaw/neck area, talk to your dentist. You may have TMJ (short for temporomandibular joint…the joint in each side of your jaw) disorder. If your dentist cannot give you very much information, find a TMJ specialist and call him for an examination. TMJ can grow into a severely restricting, delicate problem and is best treated when in the early stages of development. You won’t have to keep swallowing painkillers if the source of the problem is fixed!
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Isolite Technology
At the ADA Session last month, I encountered Isolite’s exhibit where they were performing some demonstrations with their new-and-updated versions. I have been using this technology in my dentistry for some time, and it is, hands down, one of the best tools ever invented.
Lately, my Isolites have been tiring out and not functioning as well as they could have been. I actually spoke with the inventor at the Session, and he offered to replace all of mine at no cost! It was very generous of him.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
http://www.isolitesystems.com/system.asp
TMJ
TMJ disorder, or TMD (both acronyms for the temporo-mandibular joint….the joint in your jaw), is a common ailment that causes a wide range of symptoms from occasional ear pain or jaw clicking/popping, to major aches in the entire head, tooth wear from frequent bruxing (teeth-grinding), migraines, neck pain, and jaw crookedness or tiredness. I specialize in treating TMJ, so if you think TMJ has been a problem for you, contact me (or another TMJ specialist, if location is a problem). It’s important to find one who treats TMJ bioesthetically, aesthetically, and with the healthiest, most natural options available. Your TMJ disorder will grow worse over time if it’s not taken care of. Don’t wait any longer to prevent problems that are bound to happen!
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Using Oxygen & Ozone in Dentistry
That idea might sound quite odd and surprising, yes? This is brand-new in my practice. Read this for crucial background information:
http://www.toxinfreesmile.com/images/Ozone-Integrating%20Oxygen%20Ozone%20Thearpy%20into%20Your%20Practice.pdf
The system is basically a small, easy-to-operate machine with several tubes, bottles, and buttons all over (I ordered and received one already), and an oxygen tank. In a nutshell, it works by locally and rapidly eliminating all “bad” bacteria to the place treatment is applied, therefore providing a completely sterile environment to work in. There are no adverse reactions or side effects to worry about. Also, when used internally, it also “magnetically” leeches onto bacteria and destroys it, but does nothing to the “good” cells and bugs in your body. This allows your immune system to fully recover and restore the infection quickly and effectively, and — the best part — completely naturally!
I met the two lead investigators of a national study on the use of oxygen & ozone in dentistry (at the very bottom of the pages in the link), Dr. Mollica and Dr. Harris, at the IAOMT conference last month. They were extremely informative and generous in giving my son and daughter-in-law demonstrations (they were sick with colds that weekend, and, by inhaling the vapor, were healed within a few days! No, oxygen/ozone is not limited to dentistry only!). In a few weeks, I will be attending a class of theirs in New Jersey, where they’ll be teaching dentists how to incorporate the practice into their offices and giving out all kinds of information on its uses.
More on this topic will be written; they told me it is going to change my dentistry like nothing else, and for the better.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Surfing Adventures
In Hawaii, our vacation home host works at a surfboard manufacturing shop. I was curious about the trade, so I took my son and daughter-in-law inside the shop to see if we could get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes (rather, behind the rows and rows of colorful boards found in shops on every corner on the North Shore!) process of surfboard making. May as well since we were already there! Though many people surf in Los Angeles, I think it would be harder to just walk in the back door of a random surfboard place and “demand” a tour.
The white (often colored) boards we usually see are made out of polyurethane or polystyrene foam. Balsa and other light woods are also commonly used, only they are much more expensive than the foam boards. The shape and size of the board is sanded down to resemble what looks exactly like a surfboard carved out of fancy styrofoam or wood. Much care is taken in measuring the shapes, sizes, and weights of the boards. Then layers of fiberglass, cloth, paint (for designs), and resins are applied to form the complete product. We saw some beautiful boards, including a custom-made decorative one made out of several different hardwoods.
Being a dentist, I couldn’t help but compare the similarities in this process, and the restoration process used in CEREC system, which I have and definitely use. When a tooth needs restoration, the CEREC system records a digital image of the tooth’s structure, and within a matter of hours, carves out a perfect crown/filling out of a small block of ceramic inside a special machine (many demonstrations of this were held at the ADA Session). The faulty tooth is sanded down ever so slightly, and then, after some refining, fitting, and adjusting of the occlusion, the crown/filling is bonded or cemented right where it needs to be, fitting perfectly with the other teeth. It’s quite amazing.
Aloha!
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Amalgam (Silver Fillings) Removal
(Continued from the previous post:)
Be careful when you have your amalgam filling(s) removed; for several hours the numbness in your face will hinder good judgment on whether your bite feels normal again (when your teeth fit together as you clench down, like normal chewing).
When Dr. Boyajian refills your teeth, a tiny bit of extra filling will stick out above the tooth, and you’ll be able to feel it. He will sand it down to match the rest of your natural tooth’s shape, and check your bite on a piece of film to get rid of any good-bite-blockage. I thought I was good to go, but as “Mrs. Marshmallow Face”, I should have been more careful in determining the status of my bite! Ever so subtly, I can feel just something there that makes my bite go just a bit crooked and it’s not how I remember it. My jaw muscles have also been feeling slightly more tired. Then occasionally I will find myself subconsciously clenching — almost grinding, like my jaw wants to go back to the old way of chewing but can’t find a way. The funny thing is, is that it hardly bothers me at all, but in reality this must be fixed quickly. Even minor adjustments such as this grow into bigger problems. I read and hear about TMJ a lot now, and I’m realizing that this is a way it can start, and I’m thankful I’ve recognized it early! I am going back to the office in a few days to shave off some more of the fillings so my normal bite will return.
If this has ever been your case (maybe you had your fillings removed a long time ago, and you remember not feeling quite normal, but you ignored it and it became the new “normal”), do not wait to have that fixed or at least examined by a dentist! Straying from the natural way your teeth should fit together is terrible for your jaw in the long run. TMJ disorders develop from those “insignificant” bothers, and it’s so important to communicate with your dentist of ANYTHING that wasn’t the way it was before. Granted, it may not always be a negative result, but it is still important to speak up, because the dentist knows a whole lot more about what’s right/wrong in our mouths.
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Removing My Fillings
(Continued from the previous post:)
So here’s how the procedure went:
I sat in the chair. It was comfy. They started by numbing my mouth up so I wouldn’t feel the drilling. Once it kicked in, shields and suction things were placed in my mouth and around our heads so any mercury vapor wouldn’t escape into our lungs.
They drilled out each filling on the right side of my mouth first, cleaned it, refilled those teeth with the right kind of filling, and cleaned everything once more. They had me rinse, but I had lots of trouble because I could not even feel my lips or tongue, and not dripping all over my bib was quite a task. Plus, I was not allowed to swallow at all the entire time (that was the hardest part).
I sat back down, they did the same thing to the other side of my mouth, and just like that, it was finished! They sanded down the fillings to correct my bite, had me rinse and gargle and wash once more, and I was good to go! Well, except for my mouth still being completely numb. My husband was having a ball teasing me about my “thilly thpeecthhh.”
For the next couple of weeks/months while the mercury level in my body is spiking, I will have to go through a special detox to get rid of all traces; but once that’s over, I will not ever have to worry about it again. And I have all-white teeth again, thank goodness!
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
A Testimonial (Well, One of a Short Series…)
Today we have a guest post.
Hello, Readers! I am Dr. Boyajian’s daughter-in-law, and this last weekend I had my teeth worked on in his office for the first time (I live out of town). Wow! The entire visit went by quickly and smoothly, and the results are great.
When I was younger, I was not as thorough as I should have been when it came to brushing and flossing regularly. My diet had never been ideal — mostly grain-based with not enough nourishing fats and animal protein. I thus developed a total of six cavities, three on each side of my mouth.
My old family dentist was very nice and I never had a bad experience in his office, but the more I learned about amalgam and TMJ while reading this blog, the more I was aware that this other dentist was not practicing dentistry good for the body. He filled up my cavities with amalgam, the “silver” (ahem, MERCURY) fillings and I had never given them a second thought until now… well, except for the occasional glance in the mirror and not really finding metal in my teeth very attractive.
I was able to attend most of the IAOMT seminars with Dr. Boyajian and my eyes were opened to the schemes behind pro-mercury dentistry and things the AMA/FDA wants to hide from us for financial reasons. Immediately afterwards, we decided to remove my fillings because of their extremely hazardous effects on my health (and Dr. Boyajian’s future grandchildren’s health!).
I have not noticed, thankfully, any major issues with toxicity since their removal. Want to hear how it went? Check out the next post!
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
The Poison in Your Teeth by Dr. Tom McGuire
This book is a wonderful, if not, the best resource available to the general public with information regarding amalgam fillings. I’m in the process of reading it and will note certain particular things that are interesting or important for you to know. We have to spread the word about this horrible practice!
http://dentalwellness4u.com/
www.dentalwellnessarts.com