Dental Veneers Can Change Your Life

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By Arthur Kezian
Once you start your career, or already have one that involves a lot of socializing, you are going to need to smile often. What happens if you don’t like your smile though? Don’t worry; a cosmetic dentist is just around the corner. If you have problems with the alignment, color, size, or just overall look of your teeth, then you could consider getting dental veneers. Dr. Arthur A. Kezian provides tremendous medical and professional assistance for dental health and care. He assures you have a long-term, fabulous smile on your face.

What are Dental Veneers?

Dental veneers are basically thin shells made to cover the surface of your tooth. Veneers can be made from a few types of materials, including resin composite and porcelain. Resin veneers are thinner and don’t entail too much removal of teeth, but porcelain veneers seem to be a better option. Porcelain veneers resist stains a lot better and they also look more natural than other materials. Dental veneers made of porcelain usually last longer and look more esthetically pleasing.

The Procedure:

Once you and your dentist have treatment planned your procedure, you are ready to begin. The first step of the procedure would be to get you numb. Not too many patients enjoy this part, but remember, it is a very quick part of the procedure. Take a few, deep breaths through your nose to help you relax, and before you know it, the injection will be over.

Once you are fully numb, you are ready to undergo the dental procedure. Your dentist will remove a small layer (about half a millimeter) of your enamel to make room for the veneer that will be placed on your tooth. After some quick drilling, an impression will be taken of your teeth to be sent to a lab. The veneers will be delivered back to the office in about two weeks. Depending on your teeth, your dentist will make you temporary veneers until the permanent ones come in.

You will make a second appointment to finish the procedure when your veneers arrive. Your dentist will make sure that the veneers match your teeth in terms of shade and shape. If they look natural and fit correctly on your teeth, they can be bonded. Your teeth will be cleaned and etched to make sure the bonding remains strong. Once it is cemented in, a light cure is used to dry the cement. At this point you are almost done with the procedure; the only thing left to do is clean some of the excess cement off once it has dried.

Veneers can last somewhere between 5 to 10 years, but depending on your habits, your homecare, and the way you take care of them, they could last longer. If you’re interested in getting dental veneers, call Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS. He and his staff can help answer all your questions about dental veneers, you could even stop by the office to have a free consultation.

Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777 http://www.drkezian.com

-N.S.

What to Expect During a Root Canal Therapy Procedure

By Arthur Kezian

If you were to ask someone what a root canal was their reply would most likely consist of the words “painful” or “scary”. Why is this so? Many people fear the procedure, when in reality, there isn’t much to be afraid of. Surely, there have been cases where a patient has not liked the procedure, but there have been twice as more cases where the patient has been satisfied. People associate root canal therapy to the pain they felt before the procedure, and so, saying that a root canal is painful isn’t necessarily correct. Before we can jump into why a root canal is actually very beneficial, let’s break it down so you can have a better understanding of what happens.

Opening the Root Canal:

If you are having throbbing or pulsating pain coming from your tooth, it is probably because decay has reached the nerve of your tooth or there is an abscess and infection around the tip of your root. If this happens, you need to call a dental professional with emergency hours. They should be able to get you right in and start the first step of the root canal. If the nerve of your tooth is dead, you wouldn't really need anesthesia, but many dentists will give you some localized anesthesia anyways to make sure you are totally at ease and do not feel a thing. If the injection is the part you are afraid of, just remember, the pain lasts for a few seconds and then it is gone. We tend to hype things up in our minds and make situations seem worse than they really are. As long as you know you are in good hands, all you need to focus on is your breathing. Before you know it, the injection will be over.

Once you are fully numb, your dentist will create an access to the root of your tooth by drilling a hole from the biting surface. The bacteria is cleaned out, the decayed nerve tissues are taken out, and the pulp is removed. Specific files are used to make sure the tooth is thoroughly cleaned out. The first part to the procedure is done.

Closing the Root Canal:

The second part of the root canal therapy (RCT) involves closing the tooth back up. Depending on your dentist and the circumstance of your tooth, the tooth may be closed the same day it is opened and cleaned out or it may be left open for drainage, will have medication placed inside, and will be closed during a following appointment. If this is the case, the tooth is not actually left open. A small, temporary filling is placed on the tooth to prevent food and bacteria from entering. Once the tooth is ready to be sealed, a rubbery material is placed inside the tooth. This material is called gutta percha, and it basically replaces the nerve of your tooth. Once the tooth is filled, a more sturdy filling will close the access hole the dentist had made to get into the tooth. This is the final step to your root canal. Most dentists recommend you get a crown placed on top of a tooth that has a root canal to provide strength and support to the tooth.

Now, we can state that a root canal procedure is very beneficial. It saves your tooth from being extracted and it saves you from a lot of pain. There is no reason to fear a root canal procedure. Apart from an extraction, a root canal is the only way to stop a painful tooth from acting up.

If you have any questions regarding root canals or emergency dentists, feel free to call Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS. The office staff will be delighted to help you and answer all your questions. Dr. Kezian has been in the practice for more than 30 years and has done numerous root canal procedures. If a good, experienced dentist is what you need, call his office today.

Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777 http://www.drkezian.com

-N.S.

A Shot at a Second Chance: Dental Implants

By Arthur Kezian

Before you learn about something, it is important to cover the basics. So, for dental implants, the basics start from a simple question – what is a dental implant? A dental implant, just like any other implant, replaces a part of your body with something that looks or acts just like it. Dental implants replace your teeth; they provide a strong, natural looking tooth as well as a brighter, whiter smile. If you have a missing tooth, you should look into dental implants. Mentioned below are reasons why implants are beneficial followed by the procedure of a dental implant.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are helpful for people who have missing teeth or have a tooth that needs to be extracted. They boost up self esteem, especially for those who have had missing teeth for a while, and they make you feel comfortable with your smile. Apart from their physical appearance and the benefits that provides, implants also help you chew better and improve your speech (if you have missing teeth). Dental implants vary in success rates because everyone’s body is different. Generally speaking though, implants have a very high success rate. Patients who receive implants are so thankful that they can smile the way they used to. It’s amazing how much of a difference a smile can make!

The Procedure:

Once you’ve had a consultation with your dentist and have come up with a treatment plan, you are ready to start your implant procedure. During the first visit, the actual implant is placed into the socket of your bone where your missing tooth used to be. The implant is a small post usually made of titanium. This implant is left alone until the jawbone heals around it, giving it more structural support. As the bone grows around the implant it secures its place (the healing process is very important). The healing process depends on the person, but it usually takes around 2-3 months.

Once the implant is secured into the jawbone, you are ready for the second step. A small post that is used as a connector is attached to the implant. This is called the abutment and helps hold the new tooth that is going to be placed on it. The new tooth that is going to be used is going to be a crown. Everything after the abutment is basically a crown procedure. Your dentist will take impressions of your bite to create a model from it. This model is sent off to a lab where your new crown will be made to match your existing teeth. The crown is made very precisely taking shape, color, texture, and size into consideration; this is done to make the implants look as natural as possible.

When your crown is ready, your dentist will place it onto the abutment and adjust your bite to make sure it is not high or rough. This is basically the last step of the procedure. You then have a new tooth added to your smile and can feel more confident about smiling and laughing.

As far as keeping the dental implants under good condition, you have to treat it just like you would any other crown or your other teeth. You must brush and floss to keep it clean as well as keep up with your regular dental check-ups with your dentist to make sure the implant is doing fine.

If you have any questions or concerns about dental implants, contact Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS. He and his staff will be delighted to answer your questions and help you in every which way. Dr. Kezian has done many implant cases and with a quick consultation he can let you know if you are a good candidate. Call his office today; what do you have to lose?

Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777 http://www.drkezian.com

-N.S.