Tag Archive for: pankey institute

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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

Comprehensive Co-Discovery Examination

As postgraduates at Pankey, they teach us how to develop a comprehensive style of dentistry, which means a lot of time is spent gathering a patient’s information — dental history, past dental experiences, current state of oral health, questions/concerns/desires/needs, etc. — and forming customized solutions that cater perfectly to these factors. A patient may come in for a complete comprehensive examination to see where he/she stands orally. The patient is very involved in the process of discovering which kind of treatments or improvements are most wanted or needed; this allows both the patient and dentist to form a sturdy relationship, bringing a source of ongoing assistance and the best of dental treatment to the patient.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

The Pankey Institute

This institute is well-known in the dental field for its excellency and quality of continued dental education; namely, a school to refine dental skills and produce professional, well-rounded practitioners. We are trained to develop a comprehensive style of dentistry, treating each individual patient with the utmost care and concern, always on the lookout for his/her best interests and specific needs.

This comprehensive approach is what brings you the friendly, professional experience from the time you walk in the door and speak with the receptionist to when you exit with your long-lasting, functional pearly whites. Finding the balance between professionality, top-notch quality, and warm personalities in a dental office are important for bringing you the best dental experience possible, lasting for generations… and, in my practice, this is priority.

Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles

www.dentalwellnessarts.com

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Why Does My Veneer Keep Falling Off?

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