Tag Archive for: bioesthetic dentistry

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Aesthetics of Occlusal Correction

I figured I’d end the series on correcting malocclusions with “pretty” thoughts… thoughts about the visible benefits of occlusal correction.

What makes your smile natural also makes it beautiful. A correct bite will show in a smile that looks exactly how it was designed to look, not only displayed by straight teeth, but by the rest of your face as well. Your jaw moves in a way that is no longer detrimental to the surrounding muscles and joints in your face; your teeth no longer inhibit that movement or acquire further wear-and-tear; and you’ll be feeling better overall, because unusual tightness or tiredness in your mouth area will be gone. Add to all of that the confidence of a pretty smile!

A different kind of analysis, called a functional and aesthetic analysis, may be performed during the therapy in order to ensure the longterm health and beauty of your teeth.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

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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

You, Your Bite and Occlusal Disease

Occlusal disease is the fancy name for “bite disease”. What? How does one’s bite become diseased, you ask? Well, there are three types of bad things that can happen to your teeth: decay (cavities), gum disease, and bite disease. We’ve discussed the first two, so here goes occlusal (bite) disease.

Occlusal disease is the condition where your bite — the way your teeth come down onto each other — is uneven, crooked, or misaligned. You may not be able to bite down all the way or chew thoroughly, and your jaw muscles must work harder for these simple tasks. Because of the unevenness, some teeth are worn down faster than others, and further wearing, breaking, or chipping of teeth may occur. The extra work on the jaw muscles also causes pain all around the jaw, mouth, head, and neck. “Aging” teeth may not be aging at all — the wear and tear is because of a bite problem long left untreated. It’s a mess!

Occlusal disease is often hard to spot. Unlike cavities or gum disease, it’s not always visually apparent. What may appear to be a randomly broken tooth could be a more severe underlying problem… and fixing just that one tooth is not going to help if the whole jaw is misaligned.

Dentists trained at The Pankey Institute develop the eyes for recognizing bite problems, making it less of a mystery to solve if one finds himself suffering the symptoms. Much research goes into fixing the problem; casts and models of your teeth are made so the dentist can see where the problem lies and how it can be adjusted (bite analysis). Occlusal disease also ties directly into bioesthetic dentistry and treating TMJ disorders. A simple, non-surgical tweaking of the muscles (most often used with a MAGO, or mouthguard-looking splint that helps “train” the muscles to realign in the correct positions) may very well be the solution to chewing food without harming your skull, and preserving functional, straight teeth well into your later years.

 

Bioesthetically Preserving A Healthy Bite

A patient recently came into my office with severely worn-down teeth & an overbite. This was caused by several years’ worth of clenching & grinding. I informed her that she essentially had two choices for restorations. Either she can have several veneers for the ‘visible-when-smiling’ teeth in the front, or full crown restorations for just about the entire mouth.

It raises an important question. How does an individual choose the right dentist to treat her? Choosing the right dentist isn’t only about choosing the dentist who gives you the best price or even the whitest teeth on Day 1. It’s the one who takes all things into consideration including the health of your jaw joint. The importance of preserving an already-healthy bite or taking steps to achieve the ideal bite is of vital importance. Bioesthetic methods are low-maintenance, greatly cost-effective, and save a lot of headaches (literally). Because the initial care in case design will lead to longer lasting restorations

For patients whose bite needs slight adjustment, I usually end my treatment by designing a MAGO — a maxillary anterior guided orthotic. A MAGO is quite different than a mouthguard which is usually a rubber based separator that keeps you from grinding your teeth but does nothing for your poor overexerted jaw muscles.  The MAGO, on the other hand, will simultaneously protect the teeth from clenching/grinding at night (when we have the least control over our bruxing habits) and develop a healthy jaw alignment over time if worn consistently.

Dr. Boyajian, Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Benefits of Bioesthetic Dentistry

(Taken from my website:)

“Bioesthetic dentistry takes the remedial treatment of each tooth to the comprehensive treatment of the entire body. Our diagnosing methodologies show us why you have broken down or worn teeth. Then we provide the means to regain the length, shape and appearance of your teeth, before they became worn or broken down.

“Based on the natural biologic form, Bioesthetic Dentistry works by arranging the teeth to function together with the alignment of the Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ). Recognized world-wide as the “non-surgical face lift”, bioesthetic dentistry affects the eyes, facial muscle posture and overall facial form. The final result is a naturally beautiful smile.

“If you have any of the common complaints listed below, Bioesthetic Dentistry may be what you need.

Migraines
Jaw popping
Worn or cracked teeth
Jaw pain
Unsightly smile
Limited opening of the mouth with restricted range of motion
Unable to chew food properly
Poor digestion
Gum disease with recession of the gums
Sensitive teeth
Tired-looking or -feeling jaw”

Dr. Boyajian, Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

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Cosmetic and Aesthetic Dental Services

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

Bioesthetic Dentistry and TMJ

If you read any of my previous posts concerning TMJ, I’m sure you’ve made some sort of connection between that and bioesthetic dentistry. There is, in fact, a grand relationship between the two!

TMJ stands for “temporo-mandibular joint,” (or, more plainly, your jaw joint). “TMJ” itself, or even “TMD” (temporo-mandibular disorder), both refer to problems with the jaw joint that affect your chewing system. It also involves your surrounding facial muscles, and even your whole head or neck. It is important, if you seem to be experiencing unexplained headaches, neck pain, jaw pain, clicking or popping sounds when chewing, crooked jaw movements, grinding or clenching teeth, or limited opening of your mouth, to see a dentist immediately, as TMJ in the long run will become much worse if it isn’t treated.

Bioesthetics comes in handy here. Bioesthetic dentistry restores the original, genetic bite that functions perfectly and is most comfortable and efficient. That lists everything that TMJ is not! Bioesthetics is absolutely perfect for treating TMJ, as it targets correcting the jaw muscles and alignment, where the root problem is. Not the chipped teeth (yet), or the mysterious grinding on one side of your mouth (yet), but the deep-down muscles that control every single movement your mouth makes. It’s wonderful! And everyone who undergoes treatment is enamored with the fact that they can stop taking pain medications, wearing mouthpieces at night, or crashing hard underneath an unexplained migraine.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

Bioesthetic Bite Correction: What Can I Expect?

I am glad you asked! As I rattle off so many great things about bioesthetics, I fail to list what, exactly, the process involves.

First, you must find a dentist who practices bioesthetics (call me if you live in Southern California). The process begins with procedures involving studying and analyzing your chewing system. A maxillary anterior guided orthotic (MAGO) is formed to temporarily correct your bite and relax or stabilize jaw joints and muscles. A MAGO is made out of hard plastic and shaped like a sports mouthpiece, and is designed to prevent further clenching or grinding of your teeth during this process.

Next, records are written and measurements of your jaw joint rotations in their natural positions are taken. A model of your teeth is made to determine what may be causing the problems and what must be done to correct them. Radiographs and photographs taken all around your face, neck, and mouth to help the dentist make the final diagnosis before beginning treatment. Then the ideal form for your teeth is molded in wax and the design is transferred to your mouth to test the comfort and functionality. Treatment begins after this.

The degree of treatment needed will vary from patient to patient. Some cases require just some reshaping or bonding of teeth, while others may need to undergo surgery and complete full mouth rejuvenation. Bioesthetics, as I mentioned before, though, allows the most conservative dental work to be done, so don’t be scared away by false visuals of half a dozen doctors surrounding you in a dark room with all sorts of sharp, whirring tools! Not the case!

After treatment, which can last as long as a couple weeks to several months, your natural, genetically original chewing system will be restored, and you’ll get to enjoy your new smile, knowing that your teeth and jaws are in their right places and working harmoniously together.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

 

Bioesthetics Dentistry

So why should you choose a dentist who practices bioesthetics? Well, a bioesthetic dentist not only understands how the chewing system as a whole unit works at its best, but has also been specially trained to restore proper functionability and harmony between all aspects of oral anatomy to those who do not have those benefits. A bioesthetic dentist knows how to fix the root problem, not just the effects we see or feel on the outside! This is very important because, as I mentioned earlier, dentists have traditionally been trained to treat those surface problems, such as worn-down teeth or jaw pain. Bioesthetics treats the culprit so you never experience those symptoms!

Another bonus is that you don’t have to keep coming back so frequently for irritating toothaches or similar hindrances to a healthy, beautiful mouth. Once it’s done, it’s done for a very, very long time!

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

The Non-Surgical Facelift

…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