The way you feel about your appearance reflects the way you smile and greet those you meet every day.
Porcelain veneers are a minimally invasive and painless way to transform your teeth from discoloration, misshapen, and malalignment to a beautiful, bright and friendly smile. For over 20 years, Dr. A. J. Boyajian has been creating cosmetic masterpieces for his patients in Los Angeles, CA.
Here’s a great article on whitening that I found recently on the Dental Tribune. Be aware, there are some big words (have a dictionary handy!), but there is some good detailed information with pictures of the tooth whitening process.
http://www.dental-tribune.com/articles/content/scope/specialities/section/cosmetic_dentistry/id/369
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
(Taken from my website):
“A dental implant is a small man-made titanium screw that serves as the replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth. The implant is placed in the bone of the upper or lower jaw and allowed to bond with the bone and serve as an anchor for the replacement tooth. Dental implants can be used to replace a single lost tooth or many missing teeth. Implant supported replacement teeth look, feel and function like natural teeth. Dental implants preserve the integrity of the facial structure and reduce the inconvenience associated with tooth loss.”
Implants are great if you are missing one tooth or multiple teeth. I am a member and graduate of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Check out the website aaid.com for abundantly more information about dental implants.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Veneers are an interesting option for improving the appearance of your teeth. There are many great advantages about veneers, yet some of their restrictions often cause people to search for other cosmetic enhancement options.
Veneers are almost like artificial teeth worn over your teeth. Hardy materials are customarily molded into the unique, perfect smile for you, and are permanently applied over your teeth. Veneers are permanent because the enamel on your teen must be sanded down in order for the veneers to function properly, and removing them is damaging to your real teeth.
Many advantages come with veneers, though, as their main purpose is to hide imperfections such as crooked, gapped, or discolored teeth. They are made out of a material that doesn’t change color over time and won’t even collect stains from coffee or tobacco. How long they last varies from patient to patient, even though they are made to be very durable and maintain good condition for many years. However, it is still best to ask your dentist how long yours would last if you are considering veneers for yourself.
You will also have to brush and floss regularly even though you have “fake teeth.” Keeping veneers clean helps them last longer. You will have to be careful because some foods aren’t recommended for you to eat if you have veneers, things like nutshells that must be cracked.
Veneers are great! Talk to your dentist for more insight to see if they’re right for you!
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Ever say “Ahhhhh!” to yourself in the mirror and cringe at the unsightly metal in your mouth? Those unsightly metallic crowns or fillings can now be replaced with porcelain or resin! Metal fillings are also very bad for your health, and each day you are slowly poisoning yourself. If that filling or crown were to crack, the newly released mercury would be absorbed by your body. When absorbed, it actually sticks to your cells and can be very harmful. Don’t wait around for that to happen! Our safe mercury removal techniques (S.M.A.R.T.) follow the protocols set forth by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. Your safety is our top priority.
Dr. Boyajian, Los Angeles
Member of the IAOMT
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Here in America, people are very concerned about the way they look. Well, that’s to all dentists’ advantage, because “imperfectly” colored teeth seem to be quite intolerable in our culture. Whitening teeth is extremely popular, probably because it can be done at the dentist’s office or conveniently purchased as an over-the-counter kit to be done at home.
Whitening your teeth is great if you are sick and tired of seeing — or other people seeing — your splotchy or discolored teeth caused by coffee, smoking, tobacco, or mere age. Now treatments are available even for people with very sensitive teeth, so don’t let that stop you from attaining that beaming grin!
It is recommended to talk with your dentist to discuss which method exactly will be best for you. Though these kits are easily available at the grocery or drugstore, leakages or irritation from improper use could lead to more serious complications. Whitening done in the office is often much quicker and safer than DIY kits, anyway, though your dentist may recommend a kit along with your whitening treatment for further enhancement of a lovely white smile.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Cosmetic dentistry is different from bioesthetic dentistry, even though some aspects of each are similar (improvement of looks, for example). Bioesthetics concentrates on foundational anatomy of your mouth, with good looks and comfort resulting from treatment, while cosmetics is primarily beautifying the outward appearance of your teeth. Here are the most commonly practiced procedures of cosmetic dentistry: teeth whitening, bonded white fillings (I do not use mercury in any of my dentistry, and we are a mercury-safe office), veneers, porcelain crowns, and dental implants. I will go over each of these in more detail soon.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
…is what bioesthetic dentistry is known as around the world. One incredible thing is that, by fixing up your mouth bioesthetically, the muscle and joint adjustments affect the rest of your facial muscle posture as well, and in a very positive way! Eyes open up wider, cheeks are lifted, jawlines enhanced, your smile is radiant, and your overall facial form glows with a younger, healthier, happier expression. Here, at www.bioesthetics.com, I found some inspiring before/after pictures you might like to see. Take a look here: http://bioesthetics.com/patient_cases.html.
I don’t mean to sound like a plastic surgery commercial, but the benefits are just too wonderful to disregard. Bioesthetics is simply an amazing field of work because patients receive the advantages listed above, along with physical comfort and functionality. Relaxed muscles; joint stability; beautiful teeth, comfortable, efficient chewing and biting; and longevity…who can refuse? Besides, plastic is synthetic; this is completely natural and good for your body.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Bioesthetics could be defined, generally, as the study of “natural beauty.” In the area of dentistry, it applies to the healthy beauty of your mouth. It is acquired by restoring proper alignment between your teeth and jaws with a minimal amount of dental work, producing a perfect bite which will prevent wear-and-tear on your mouth that has, until recently, been blamed on mere “aging.” Correct jaw alignment, a good bite with effective chewing, a pretty smile, and lifetime-lasting results are all included in the package.
For years and years, dentists have been taught to work on each tooth individually. But addressing a single crown here, a root canal there, etc… can lead to complications. Those complications could be masking a broader issue, such as poor alignment of your teeth or crooked jaw joints. The could be the cause of excessive premature wear or grinding of your teeth. Because Bioesthetics covers the core muscles and fundamentals of oral anatomy, surface issues like worn or cracked teeth, a popping jaw, or gum recession are fixed. Once this occurs, patients walk out with a stable bite that will last them a long time. Amazing!
Call today for a complimentary consultation to see if Bioesthetic Dentistry may be the right approach for you.
Dr. Boyajian, Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
It never ceases to amaze me how my TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) experience comes in handy on a daily basis. About half of my practice is devoted to TMJ treatment so I am always thinking about solving TMJ problems or managing bruxing (grinding of teeth) habits. Patients frequently come in with broken and cracked teeth, and maybe some irregular, strange pain that comes and goes on its own whims. Well, knowing how the TMJ joint works with all the muscles, discs, etc., I can use this knowledge to help determine if those phantom pain symptoms are for an undiagnosed TMJ.
Sometimes a tooth will break because of TMJ, yet anyone might think it was caused by something completely different. The knowledge is best practically utilized in how I repair teeth. Through experience of solving TMJ problems, I know how teeth are supposed to hit when you bite down. This is extremely valuable, because if I were to place a crown or filling in the mouth and it did not hit the opposing tooth correctly, I could have inadvertently caused a TMJ problem for the patient. Yes, you heard right. In my opinion, small mistakes in general dentistry gradually snowball into large TMJ problems.
There is a principle called the DUML rule that I follow religiously. DUML stands for the Distal of Uppers and the Mesial of Lowers. This translates into avoiding bad contact points between teeth that can contribute to TMJ. When I solve TMJ problems, I make sure that I do not have those contacts on the teeth.
These incorrect points are like sitting next to a car booming with ear-grating rap music at an especially long red light. Is there even such a thing as good rap music? I am revealing my age now…
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
This is a true story told to me by a new patient named Stacey.
Stacey is originally from the East Coast and was given my name by a dentist who attended the Pankey Institute, an entity that teaches a sophisticated way to repair mouths.
Anyway, back to my story. Stacey asked me how long a veneer should last. The answer is usually a long time. Some of the first ones I placed almost 25 years ago are still in the mouth and functioning well. Stacey, on the other hand, has had three replacements of her veneer in the last three years. This is obviously far too frequent, especially since she had had to pay each time. To make matters worse, these three replacements did not include the multiple times she had to have them re-cemented them. When I met Stacey today, she was missing her right front tooth. Obviously this was not a pretty sight and she was not happy. I asked her if she wanted to find out WHY and, to her credit, she decided to let us discover the problem and plan the cure.
So this is what we did…
I started with a complete exam. This told me Stacey’s mouth has three problems:
1. She has been grinding her teeth!
2. The way her bite hit was causing all the force of the bite to come down right on the veneers which caused them to break the cement junction!
3. Her teeth are significantly worn down. This changes the the forces and dynamics of her mouth accentuating the harmful forces.
After completing the exam, I placed a temporary bonding on the front teeth. Stacey was ecstatic and I thought, “not bad if I did not say so myself.”
I also made some molds of her teeth to make her a TMJ splint called a MAGO. This appliance is used to help diagnose the true jaw position called CR (Centric Occlusion) and then we can find true, neutral position. Finally, after discovering the CR and the neutral positions, we are ready for the full diagnosis and we can develop the PLAN.
In the meantime, I think the temporary bonding will last through this time, giving Stacey a temporary beautiful smile while we work to give her her permanent, stable one. I will keep you posted.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com