High Tech Dentistry

We are proud to offer to Encino,Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks and all of the San Fernando Valley, the highest quality dental care using the latest state-of-the-art equipment, techniques, and materials. This sophisticated equipment and materials helps us diagnose potential problems, see early treatment needs, plan effective prevention and provide conservative care.

Nanotechnology in Dentistry

Dental research has recently found new uses for nanoparticles in filling materials and in decay preventing sealants. Nano- particles are actually 1 millionth of a millimeter in size. In actual use in dentistry the particles are 100 nanometers in size but vary depending on the use. In medicine experiments are being done to take advantage of nanoparticles ability to kill bacteria. Just for reference a nano- particle is 1/100,000 as thick as an average  human hair.

The current uses in dentistry are primarily in hi tech filling materials with superior characteristics. With the addition of nano particles a tooth colored filling will have improved strength of the material and less chance of breakage.

The shine and gloss are markedly better. An additional benefit is that the wear of the filling is slower and therefor the life is measurably longer.

We hope that in the future these nano-particles can help to restore lost bone where a tooth has been extracted. There is even the possibility that this technology could restore a broken, decayed or otherwise damaged tooth like new.Today in our office the newest filling materials employing nanotechnology are in use daily.

Lava/Zirconia Crowns

The newest thing in the restoration of badly damaged teeth is the Lava/ Zirconia crown. Developed by 3M, a highly respected dental product development and manufacturing company, there is now over 25 years in the research and testing the of this material. My clinical experience and that of other dentist has shown it to be an excellent choice in many situation. A 5 year study has shown a 100% success rate. This type of crown uses a CAD/CAM process that has shown to have a very precise fit to the tooth. This property will extend the life of the restoration greatly.

The natural translucency of the zirconium internal material causes an appearance that is extremely life like. Coupled with a dental technician who has great artistic ability such as ours, these crowns are hard to tell from natural teeth. We use an application of outer layers of porcelain to color, shape,  glaze and detail the crown The appearance is optimized and the results are amazingly lifelike.

Ziconia has outstanding strength and is several times stronger than conventional dental ceramic materials. You may recall that artificial diamonds in jewelry are called Zircons and are relatives of this material. This material can be used on front and back teeth as well in dental bridges. Due to its non-metal ceramic properties it is hypo- allergenic and very compatible to the human body. With so many concerns about metals in the body this property is a major advantage and very desireable.

I recommend these Lava/Zirconia crowns frequently when it suits your needs and desires. Today beautiful teeth are important to many people. Their feeling about their appearance and beauty are at issue. The combination of great appearance, biological safety and long term durability with Lava/Zirconia fills the need perfectly.

Intra-Oral Camera

 The original cameras were an offshoot of medical laprascope. Then with several years of research and development the laprascope was redesigned into a form for dental use, so do not become alarmed.

 With self-focusing capabilities plus a high intensity fiber optic light system. The magnification is 38 x normal vision. we will be able to see with it your teeth, all of the restorations, cavities and other areas that may need care. This small pencil shaped camera is moved around the inside of your mouth from tooth to tooth.

This will give you a video exam of all your teeth and gums so you can see everything that you have never seen. Also, it all is in color and on our video screens. We can freeze and store the pictures of your mouth for a close up look and then we can make an instant print for you.

 This painless, zero radiation devices allows you to see clearly any problems developing. With a red laser pointer dot we can point out the smallest details such as defective fillings, cracks and fractured teeth, decay, bleeding gum, plaque and stain.

Arestin Antibiotic

A breakthrough in treatment, dentists and hygienists use ARESTIN® (minocycline hydrochloride) as a way to get better results faster. The gum treatment called  scaling and root planning (deep cleaning) becomes much more effective. This is because ARESTIN® is the first locally administered antibiotic with micro-spheres that adhere to the tissues for 14 days and has been proven to be more valuable  than routine treatments alone. Many years of research and many clinical tests have proven its effectiveness.

ARESTIN® significantly reduces pocket depths, bleeding gums, and kills the bacteria associated with periodontal disease. It decreases the tenderness after gum treatments. It is also very effective for treating local spots of severe infection. Arestin is a major advance over the old procedures. It fights infections where they start, a major advantage. Read more about Arestin Antibiotic.

Magnification

One of the major improvements in modern dentistry has been magnification. Most people know that dentistry is a very precise art and science. Even slight openings around filling allow millions of bacteria to enter the tooth and cause rapid decay. In the last few years small telescopes have been developed to be placed just in front of the dentists eyes to give him the ability to see the working area dramatically better. Excellent vision is critical for excellent results.

Called Galilean telescopes (after Galileo), often called loupes, they are an extremely sharply focused form of magnifying with many internal lenses all working together. The lenses are all coated with special polymers to further sharpen the images by reducing glare and reflections.

Recently a fiber optic lighting system has been added to shine a focused light beam directly on the treatment area. A powerful projection bulb is placed behind the dentist and a tiny and flexible fiber optic cable carries the light to a spot between the telescopes. Lenses then focus the light on the working area.

To put this all into some perspective start a human hair at 100 microns. With the magnification from dental telescopes it appears to be three times as large or 300 microns. While these numbers may seem tiny, they are a tremendous difference to a dentist. Just 40 microns plus or minus can be the difference between success and failure in the dental world.

Dental Air Abrasion

This new device has several great advantages. It is great for a conservative treatment and is comfortable too. There is no heat buildup and stress on the tooth and often there is no discomfort at all. It is wonderful for removing the old white fillings which it does more conservatively than the drill plus quieter, smoother and faster.

 This instrument looks like a tiny sand blaster that shoots out a tiny precise flow of aluminum oxide particles which are safely suctioned up during the procedure. Dr. Melnick can pinpoint a stain or small area of decay without having to drill out more tooth structure than necessary. We usually use it without a standard drill to help minimize the amount of actual drilling that is sometimes necessary in very large decayed areas.

Dr. Melnick was the first dentist in Encino, Tarzana Shermon Oaks and Woodland hills areas to be trained to use this technique and has a large amount of experience in this procedure. Read more about Dental Air Abrasion.

Patient Education

The American Dental Association Dental Patient Education Series raises dental patient comprehension to a remarkable new level. By having these animated images with narration in our office we can describe most of our procedures so you can have a good good working knowledge of what can be achieved. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This system is worth even more than that. We purchased a DVD system for educating our patients several years ago and it has had great acceptance. It is a great learning tool.

 To name a few of the topics covered are new patient exams, post-surgical care, implants, veneers, and bleaching, and it even explains the differences between various types of porcelain crowns. This tool is available in our audio visual area so that our patients may view it undisturbed so that our patients can easily learn much from it. The American Dental Association Patient Education Series can assist you gain an understanding of the treatments available and help you pick the option best suited for you.

Record Safety and Privacy

You will never be told "our computer is down" at our office. Our state of the art Dell computer system is fully networked to all stations and designed to manage at high speed the most up-to-date practices within the dental community worldwide. It stores records of all treatment and financial data and is protected with a power back up and surge suppression. We have multiple remote hard drives and use a daily flash memory and automatic daily off site back up. This system saves staff time so that we can provide you with the utmost individualized care and allows us to focus on you.

We strongly believe in the privacy of patient records. Everything in our office complies with Federal HIPPA regulations on patient privacy. We are convinced that every step has been taken to protect you valuable treatment information. Being very careful with patient records, we are not a fully "paperless" office. I believe that internet  computer records are all vulnerable to hackers.

 Henry Schein is the largest dental software company in the world with over 20,000 users. They provide us with continual updates and improvements as they are developed plus 24/7 technical support. We have surveyed the dentists in the Encino, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks and Woodland Hills areas and suprisingly we are one of the very few using this advances software in our area.