Thoughts On Holistic Dentistry

Holistic dentistry is fun. There is always something new to learn, some nifty gadget to discover, some way you can improve upon your practice. It keeps things interesting. It’s also a great feeling to know that you really are providing the best care possible for patients who, as you are more than aware, are entrusting a great deal of their care to you. They are not robots on whom you may just mechanically operate and send on their way; patients are people, and they should be treated as such.

This is another reason why I have chosen a holistic path: holistic dentistry takes the whole patient into consideration instead of isolating all ties to a particular medical or dental problem. Treatment involves health-promoting solutions, thus giving both the patient and doctor a great sense of security and well-being.

Bringing the best care to my patients is my passion. I hope my patients feel not only taken care of, but also happier, healthier, and more confident when they leave my office.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Nutrition’s Role In Dentistry

There is way too much information about nutrition’s role in dentistry to cram into one little blog post. However, maybe I can introduce a little more information to you that maybe you’ve never considered before.

Dentistry is all about teeth and oral health. Patients don’t usually show up expecting to hear dietary advice other than “Stay away from sugar. It will rot your teeth.” Yes, sugar is the number one preferred cuisine for the bad bacteria dwelling in your mouth, and it will definitely cause those bacteria to excrete acidic waste that causes cavities and infections. But that, in addition to brushing and flossing every day, surely isn’t the only thing to consider when looking out for the health of your teeth.

Your teeth are bones. How do you keep the rest of your bones healthy? Your teeth have nerves and blood vessels running through them. How do you maintain healthy nerves, blood, and nutrient levels? Your gums are soft tissues serving as protection and support. How do you take care of your skin and the rest of your organs and muscle tissue?

Endless cleaning and dental visits can actually do very little to build and preserve strong, healthy teeth that last well into old age. It’s like taking care of a car. You don’t merely wash it over and over again and expect that to keep it functioning for a long time. You have to go under the hood, getting to the machinery and the mechanics “behind the scenes.” That’s where you can ensure the car will run well.

Back to your teeth: what makes the biggest difference is nutrition! A healthy, strong body will give you healthy, strong teeth. Likewise, malnourishment will give you crooked, weak, painful, and vulnerable teeth. Thus, poor tooth health is an indication that the rest of your body is not faring well, either, and no amount of diligent cleaning will ensure lifelong resilience.

So the main idea to focus on is the fact that food itself coming into direct contact with your teeth is not what you should worry about (but don’t go munching on lemons every day, now). Rather, be mindful about everything you consume because you’re now looking out for your whole body, not just your teeth.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Holistic Dental Practice

Modern medicine is bent on having us believe that unless something can be proven by science, it is not trustworthy as a remedy or cure for any disease. While this is a very good thing for our safety, its hand is a little too heavily suppressing the availability of alternative options. Most modern doctors, though their intentions may be perfectly upright, don’t put much faith in alternative medicine. Reasons for this vary. The point is that patients need to be aware that they have a choice in what kind of care they seek, and that it just might be better to go the holistic route even if a highly educated professional pooh-poohs the idea.

They might tell you the results of alternative medicine are inconsistent, unreliable, or dangerous. They’ll stress that there is so much more security going the “normal” way. They might say it’s fine to choose a holistic alternative if that’s what the patient is most comfortable with, but to not be surprised if it doesn’t work. “Alternative medicine is not clinically effective; is a waste of time; is this, that, or the other thing.”

Don’t buy into this. Approached with wisdom and skill, alternative medicine is the best route to take. Truly good health for a patient means permanent (maybe with occasional exceptions) independence from doctors and pharmaceuticals, which is a bad business model for them. So in spite of the major advances in knowledge and technology, they will not change their current methods that keep bringing patients back. Those methods keep us believing that our bodies are not capable of taking care of themselves; we need outside help and intervention. Thus, our focus stays on symptoms of disease — and suppressing them with drugs — instead of building disease-avoiding health altogether.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Alternative Dentistry Isn’t Merely an Ideal

Mainstream public tends to believe that alternative medicine (which, I’m sure you know, carries many derogatory nicknames) implies methods that are dirty, ineffective, or just plain weird. The public also sees alternative medicine as unreliable and dangerous because it “hasn’t been proven to cure disease” by conventional medicine. But don’t get me started on the politics behind this that keep the public in the dark about natural medicine. It is a controversial topic.

Anyway, people are generally skeptical of holistic options for their medical needs, believing that they are inferior to what the majority of doctors and professors practice. “Science” reigns over all, and any other options are swept under the rug. After all, conventional medicine is what everyone does. It is easily available, trusted, and constantly advocated by the media. So why bother with the effort and expenses of alternative medicine?

Conventional medicine (and when I say “medicine,” dentistry is included) generally relies on methods and materials that isolate a particular problem or symptom and treat it without considering its root cause. We’ll discuss what the root cause usually is later. In the holistic world, the ailment or disease itself is the “symptom” of something greater going on with the patient’s overall health. Going to the doctor or dentist and diagnosing/treating an ailment or disease is only half the battle. Holistic medicine sees beyond that and strives to bring the individual patient to his optimal condition of health and immunity, therefore healing from past vulnerabilities and avoiding all potential diseases, illness, or relapses in the future. Diseases don’t just happen; they develop gradually, culminating when the body can no longer handle the burden of resisting them. The best cure for degenerative disease is to avoid it in the first place.

That being said, this is why we practice holistic dentistry. Conventional dentistry alone just isn’t enough to restore oral health to a patient. In fact, the patient’s oral health is negatively impacted by conventional methods. So many other things must be considered when treating a part of the body, teeth included. The patient’s best interest is not taken into account unless his health and treatment are approached comprehensively.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Detriments of Invasive Dentistry (Pt. II)

Let’s take a regular cavity filling, for example. When a cavity develops, the decaying material inside the tooth must be removed, completely sterilized, and filled so that it does not continue growing and lead to a root canal (full removal of a sick tooth beyond repair). Metal fillings are a poor choice not only because of their toxicity, but also because their permanence is questionable. Believe it or not, their need for several replacements over the years is quite common. Unfortunately, though, neither dentists nor patients are really aware that the fillings are not in tip-top shape.

Replacing the filling means removing the first filling (which can be dangerous to the surrounding tooth as it is); re-sterilizing and removing infected tissue that, yes, may have continued developing underneath; sanding down yet more healthy tooth in preparation for the next filling; and, finally, a higher amount of metal than the patient started with to fill that empty space. In some cases, this process repeats itself enough to where the patient needs a root canal — full removal of the tooth — all because of wrong materials installed in the wrong way since the beginning.

As you can see, this is definitely not the best way to go. It makes patients miserable, especially those whose health, oral and physical, is in poorer condition than most. It doesn’t make sense to keep using this method — filling mouths with unsightly, dysfunctional metals.

It doesn’t stop at fillings. Patients come back in to get crowns, bridges, veneers, etc. to be redone and freshly attached. Conventionally, each of these procedures requires invasive dentistry that removes at least some of the natural hard and/or soft tissues in the body and replaces it with unnatural and often ill-tolerated materials. The effects may lie undetected for a long time while the patient blindly accepts appointment after appointment for more dental work in the office.

If you lived to be 100 years old, would you really want to visit the dentist for a repeated surgery every few years, losing part of your teeth each time until your entire mouth is replaced with artificial materials?

Tomorrow, we’ll see why minimally invasive holistic dentistry is superior in comfort, quality, and strength for long-term oral health.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Detriments of Invasive Dentistry (Pt. I)

Conventional dental work, to put it flatly, is not designed to last. The materials primarily used, which already contain metals toxic to the human body, require invasive methods of treatment in order to function properly. Certain methods, such as using amalgam (silver/mercury) fillings for cavities, are so common and expected that most patients don’t think twice about an alternative. They (and, unfortunately, many dentists themselves) are not aware — or are in denial — that these methods are laying a weak foundation for long-lasting oral health.

When the word “invasive” is used, what does that mean exactly? Invasive dentistry literally means the dentistry “invades” your mouth’s natural state. It may not be intentional, but many dentists remove still-healthy or recoverable tissues in the mouth in order to make room for fillings, crowns, etc. Our teeth and jaws are incredibly strong and resilient in their highest naturally functional state. Replacing natural tissues compromises their structural integrity, opening up opportunity for weakness, infection, and disease.

Further, what isn’t understood is that if you suppose your oral health is in poor condition by nature, that doesn’t mean what is still good needs to be taken out. In fact, most disease and infection can be reversed and healed with no surgery, though it may take a little time and discipline. Invasive dentistry might work for a while, but when there is a better alternative, it is better not to take the risk of weakening oral health and strength yet more.

(This thought will be continued tomorrow!)

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Sustainable Dentistry

Let’s say you will live to be 100 years old.

Seriously. What if it was guaranteed? If there was no possibility of fatal accidents, injuries, or crime to look out for, and your allotted span of 100 years depended entirely on your physical health, how would that affect your daily choices and activities?

I’m sure if there were no injuries to fear, we would all be little daredevils. Our lives would certainly change in many other aspects, but that’s beside the point I am making. If disease was the only threat to our 100-year lifespan, I think we would put a little more effort into our physical health, thus preserving the quality of life in our later years.

Degenerative disease has overrun our society, sadly — so much, in fact, that disease is expected to develop with age and is even dismissed as part of the aging process. What can be done so this is no longer the norm? Many people’s and families’ suffering could be alleviated with

Anyway, this new ream of musings is not solely focused on aging but how a healthy constitution can carry you far in life, and carry you well. Holistic dental treatments are designed to last, to be sustainable, bio-compatible, and friendly to patients’ physiology. However, holistic dental care is no good if the patient’s general health is not either.

While clean, natural dentistry may aid in promoting better health, there are many other factors that must be considered as well.  Stay tuned for some elaboration.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

 

Dental Cleaning and check up for Your Teeth

We are well into springtime at the moment, if you couldn’t already tell by the longer days, indecisive weather, flowers and leaves returning to trees, students cramming for finals, businessmen wrapping up taxes, the closing of basketball season and opening of baseball, organization of summer plans, etc. It’s also a time when most of us feel the need to purge our winter hibernation caves homes and do some deep-cleaning. It’s finally warming up again, and we want to stretch out! Clean out that clutter and dirt and get a fresh start! Oh, I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this; I am a dentist, after all… what do you expect?

So let’s all take a moment and ponder the advantages of spring cleaning your teeth! Obviously, you should be getting a regular dental checkup and cleaning about twice a year; more often if you tend to have problem areas. Spring is a great time to schedule an appointment. It’s done before the relaxed craze of the hot summer. The family’s schedule is still predictable while the kids are in school and you aren’t working around camping trips or impromptu beach days. A cleaning also generally brings a sense of freshness and freedom afterwards that’s a perfect way to begin summer.

It is always a good time to establish better habits, too, to your personal daily dental hygiene. Improvements can always be made. If you don’t floss at all, try to aim for at least three times a week; work your way up to five days a week, then at least once a day. Don’t stop brushing until you’ve given each individual tooth toothbrush attention. Set a timer or stopwatch and make yourself spend just five full minutes on your teeth. It’s not much. And a mere five minutes when you wake up and before you go to sleep translates into fewer dental visits, minimal long-term oral health problems, and no more “Hey, would you like a mint? No, really; please have a mint.”

Not to mention, you are making an effort to take care of your health and well-being. Good health looks and feels good, and even minor dental cleaning habits can make all the difference.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Apexification Procedure

Apexification is the procedure needed when apexogenesis fails to restore the health of an injured, immature tooth.

The first part of the process includes removal of all tooth pulp tissue. A medication is placed in the apex to seal off the opening; the root is then filled back up with a hardening material and sealed off, and any damage to the crown is also restored. The pulp will never be restored, but the natural tooth is saved and light monitoring will ensure it stays healthy in your mouth.

Because the tooth is filled with synthetic material and has not yet been as strongly established as the other adult teeth will become, the tooth will be more susceptible to fractures later. But apexification treatment done properly and carefully will lessen this possibility.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Apexogenesis Procedure

Apexowhat?! Yes, this is definitely quite a new word to wrap our heads around. What can I say? It’s a two-for-one deal: learning a little bit about dentistry while simultaneously sharpening your vocabulary skills. How convenient, right?

Anyway, in the previous post, I introduced the concepts of apexogenesis and apexification. Apexogenesis will be briefly discussed in this post.

Apexogenesis is a procedure performed after an injury that helps a young adult tooth root to continue growing and the the pulp to heal correctly. Medication is used on the surrounding soft tissues to prevent infection and ensure proper recovery. If the procedure is successful, the apex (remember, the root’s tip which has a slight opening) continues to close as the tooth grows, and the root canal walls thicken. A successful operation also relieves the patient of any further endodontic treatment, provided the pulp heals completely and the tooth’s life is fully preserved.

If, however, the apexogenesis therapy did not prove to be successful, apexification may be required. Details coming!

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com