Tag Archive for: jaw

Dental Occlusal Analysis

“Occlusal” is basically a fancy, dental-scientific word for “bite.” I have mentioned occlusal (bite) analysis in an earlier post, but if you don’t remember it, I shall reiterate:

Occlusal analysis takes a look at your bite, your entire chewing system, comprehensively observing, recording, and adjusting small areas where your bite can reach its full effective, comfortable, and long-lasting potential. This approach — analyzing the whole mouth, jaw, teeth, and their movements — is far superior to adjusting each individual tooth. Adjusting the individual teeth can lead to painful jaw malfunctions and TMJ disorders over time because of prolonged crooked movement (slight though it may be) and repetitive clenching or grinding.

Does your dentist give occlusal analyses? Should you go in for one?

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

 

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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

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Utilizing Ozone in Dental Implant Surgery

See how many great uses ozone has in the office? And, behold! Another one! Ozone is great for every dental surgery, including dental implant surgery.

Implants are used to replace teeth that have been lost or extracted, possibly due to disease or injury. A new “root” is drilled directly through the gums into the upper or lower jaw bone (depending on where the implant is needed) and is secured there. This new “root” will serve as the anchor for an artificial replacement tooth.

As usual, it is important to keep the area sterilized while surgery is being performed. Dental implant surgery goes deeper, literally, than each individual tooth. After surgery, there is a healing period where the surrounding bone and gums must be monitored to ensure that the new teeth are properly integrated into healthy oral function (this includes avoiding gum recession, for example, or infections in the mandible). Ozone is wonderful because it sterilizes more effectively and safely than traditional chemical sterilizers; not only this, but it also stimulates healthy gum healing and helps infuse the bone structure with strengthening minerals.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

TMJ Symptoms

The holidays are here, and that means lots of goodies are being baked, which means those goodies are being eaten, which means there is lots of chewing going on. Do you have any problems with chewing, biting, or opening/closing your mouth? Are you suffering any neck pain, jaw pain, or unexplained headaches? What about teeth grinding, an uneven bite, or painful chewing? Is your mouth crooked? Do you hear popping or snapping noises when opening or closing your mouth?

Whether your symptoms are subtle or debilitating, pay attention to them and talk to a TMJ specialist to see if anything can be done to fix them. My office is in Westchester, near LAX in the Santa Monica area. If you live anywhere near here, by all means, set up an appointment and we will help you. TMJ problems should never be left untreated; we need our mouths to eat, and therefore live, right? If our mouths are not functioning properly, it can be detrimental to the rest of our good health.

Dr. Boyajian, Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

 

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

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

What is a TMJ Exam?

A TMJ exam is the reviewing of the systems that move and support the temporal-mandibular joint. In our office, this has several componants:

1. We examine all the muscles and palpate the joints for discomfort. Healthy TMJs are not sensative to touch.
2. We listen to the movement joint with a Doppler. We are listening for bones rubbing and discs slipping. What we hear can also give us an idea of the health of the bone surfaces and the cartilaginous disc.
3. We also measure the range of motion that the jaw can move. Normal ranges are from 38-45 mm for women and 42-50mm for men.
4. Pain evaluation.

Healthy joints do not pop, click or hurt. If any of these conditions are present, or if other concerns are found during the exam, the patient may be referred for additional diagnostic x-rays, such as the I-CAT.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com