Tag Archive for: minimally invasive dentistry

Detriments of Invasive Dentistry (Pt. III)

The title for this post doesn’t exactly seem appropriate, even though it is along the same lines as the previous couple. Oh, well. We’ve listed some detriments of invasive dentistry; today I’ll give a brief explanation about the benefits of minimally invasive holistic dentistry — precisely what we strive for in this office.

If dental work needs to be done, minimally invasive procedures are what will be best for the patient’s dental health in the long run. When all measures are taken to preserve the natural tooth, the need for dental work in the future is greatly reduced. This is pretty valuable; you don’t want to be the patient who seems to be in the dentist’s chair all the time, but sees that either nothing improves or new problems keep coming up. Good dentistry (and diligent daily care on your part) means you don’t have to keep going back!

Minimally invasive dentistry also allows the least amount of dental work to be performed. The high quality of work and genuine care for each patient’s best treatment saves the quantity of materials needed, saves time in the chair, saves money in the short and long run, and brings more comfort to the patients who want to know that the best is being done for them.

To explain minimally invasive dentistry, I’ll use the cavity filling again as an example. Also being a holistic practice, it is important to us that we evaluate the patient’s overall physical health and immune strength. Extra care must be exercised with patients whose ability to fight infection is compromised (we may offer advice and refer the patient to sources for improving nutrition and rebuilding immunity).

Once the green light is given, tooth restoration begins. As opposed to the filling itself, how the tooth is prepared for the filling is in the spotlight this time. The tooth is “sick” and infected. It must be remineralized to restore the nutrients that keep it healthy. With our combination of ozone and dental lasers, the infected tissue is easily and quickly removed, and the tooth is completely sterilized. Sealant is then applied to preserve the healthy tissue and protect the tooth from further decay. Bacteria and acid can easily continue rotting the tooth over time if it is not sealed well.

Then, finally, the restoration is installed, which may range from a small, laser-cured filling, or an inlay/onlay formed by our CEREC unit. The type of restoration depends on the amount of lost tooth. All of our materials are metal-free and aesthetic, meaning we will ensure that the restoration looks and functions as naturally as possible. Unsightly metal? No, thanks! Sometimes, if decay has gone beyond a certain point, a crown is needed. Crowns traditionally require quite a bit of unnecessary sanding down of the tooth, but minimally invasive dentistry sees crowns as a last resort if the natural tooth is not restorable with partial reconstruction. And even then, using our CEREC unit will ensure that no natural tissue is removed unnecessarily. The results will be both strong and functional, ensuring secure dentistry for years to come.

If needed, bite splints may be fitted and supplied to the patient to eliminate the effects of bruxing (teeth grinding). Bruxing can quickly damage both healthy tooth structure and dental repairs, so it is important to protect against it.

Ta-da! Now, with proper hygiene, nutrition, and mindful monitoring by his dentist at regular cleanings/checkups, a patient shouldn’t expect to need another restoration for a good, long while, if ever.

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

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Icon Dental Treatment

There’s a very new kind of treatment recently released for early-stage cavities. This treatment is fabulous in that it uses no drilling or anesthesia for halting and even reversing growing pre-cavities. If you happen to discover white spots on your teeth, see the dentist. A white spot is actually an indication of enamel weakness and where a cavity will eventually develop. Icon gets rid of these, not only restoring the enamel, but also the tooth’s consistent pearly-whiteness.

The treatment is a quick step-by-step process where the tooth and damaged area are cleaned and kept dry (easy for me with my handy-dandy ozonating machine); a series of Icon’s special gels are applied, each left to sit for a designated activation & infiltration time, then carefully cleaned off; the teeth are polished; and that’s it! The entire process can be as short as 15 minutes with absolutely no painful drilling or invasive removal of natural materials. Immediately after the procedure, dramatic cosmetic improvements will be noticeable.

Check out Icon’s demonstration on YouTube… and if you are one of those individuals who are dentist-phobics, don’t be alarmed. None of this feels as weird as it looks, by far. If you still can’t get past the atmosphere of the place and letting someone prod around your mouth, I have that covered too.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

P.S. By the way, “caries” are going to be mentioned a lot in the video. Caries is just another name — the sciencey, dental-world name — for cavities. Enjoy!