At the Beverly Hills dentist office of Los Angeles cosmetic dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, it will be found that Dr. Maddahi’s Spa Dentistry office is really quite unlike other dental offices. Many claim to offer gentle dentistry, while this office bases it’s every office procedure, policy and activity on providing a higher standard of real gentle dentistry to its patients.

The first order of the day is to ensure that each patient feels welcome and is comfortable from the minute they near the office. With valet parking right next door, this arrival is a cinch, no driving around Beverly Hills looking for a parking spot.

The patient is warmly greeted and offered tea, coffee, water and the like. The friendly, aesthetic atmosphere of the gallery-like surroundings is a just preview of this new standard of dentistry. Paperwork is kept to a minimum, and can actually be completed on-line before the appointment.

Waiting to see the doctor is rare. Dr. Maddahi treats only one patient at a time. As quickly as possible, typically instantly, the patient will be taken into the examination room. Dr. Maddahi always begins treatment with a thorough exchange with his patient. He considers it important to fully discuss any concerns or questions the patient may have.

He will then fully cover the procedures to be done. Dr. Maddahi wants to make certain that the patient understands what to expect and this, he has found, can assist in relaxing the patient. Thorough and close communication between the doctor and the patient can dramatically decrease the stress of a dental appointment.

Communication is fundamental for gentle dentistry. Has there been any history of painful dentistry? Is the patient frightened by needles? How is the patient’s pain threshold? Do they have any fears or concerns? These are vital points of coordination between the dentist and the patient.

Every year it is found that more and more patients avoid the dentist, either because they have a fear of the dentist, or that they have had a bad experience earlier. Why would someone want to return to the dentist, in such a case?

In most circumstances the actual dental treatment began with pain. In order to do almost any dental procedure, Novocain has been needed. Administered with a needle, the pain commenced. Not necessarily the case at this office because Dr. Maddahi uses the newest anesthesia tool, the Citoject, to avoid such pain.

Dr. Maddahi explains, “What causes the pain of an injection is not the needle but the rate of delivery of the anesthetic. Before the Citoject, using conventional methods, few dentists could be painless. However with the Citoject a micro-compressor controls the rate of the injection so patients feel only a slight pressure, no pain. I try very hard to put the patient’s comfort first. I have used the Citoject since it first came on the market.”

This is one of numerous advanced dental high-tech tools offered in Los Angeles dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi’s Beverly Hills dentist office located nearby Century City, Hancock Park, Pacific Palisades and West LA. These are tools not normally found in a typical dental office. Here, the overall emphasis is on stress-free, pain-free dentistry, thus offering their patients an experience unlike any previous dental appointment.

Now there’s a brand new state-of-the-art laser, employed in the Beverly Hills dentist office of Los Angeles cosmetic dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi. This new laser, the Waterlase MD Turbo, works like a high-speed drill, but never touches the tooth. It uses laser energy and a gentle spray of water, performing without heat, vibration or pressure.

“I want to revolutionize dentistry. We strive for the fastest, best result with the least pain”, explains Dr. Maddahi. “With the Waterlase MD Turbo, we are accomplishing our dentistry procedures faster than ever with less pain, less waiting and less recovery time.”

So advanced from the original lasers used in dentistry, the Waterlase MD Turbo is a cool laser. Customarily, of course, a laser was inherently heat based. There developed a significant difference in this technology.  Waterlase is the only cool laser used in dentistry – which therefore means no more burning to remove tissue and bone.

Imagine your dentist using a cool laser instead of a high-speed drill for drilling cavities? Yes, that means you perhaps won’t need Novocain. With much less pain, no heat, no noise, no weird drill smell and no vibration, the speed of this new high-tech laser is nearly equal to that of a high-speed drill. Many patients have found they can now get a cavity filled without the use of any anesthesia.

This revolutionary transformation in dentistry should bring certain people back to the dentist office! A survey conducted by the National Institute for Consumer Education found that 82% of people have fear of the dentist. They also found that 68% of that fear is because of the injection so often needed for dental work. And, 53 % do not like the post-operative numbness.

As in earlier treatment of periodontal disease, this innovative dental laser can be used on infected gums to significantly shrink inflammation. Any expected pain in this treatment is greatly diminished with the Waterlase. Treating infected gums with laser dentistry will usually keep the area free from returning bacteria for up to 30 days. The now-vaporized tissue, which was infected beforehand, is found to grow back now, bacteria free.

Need crown lengthening? Customarily, it takes six to eight weeks of healing after crown lengthening before the next procedure can be done. When a condition exists where a tooth needs a crown but too much of the tooth is missing, crown lengthening will be performed right in Dr. Maddahi’s office. This is done with less recovery time and much less pain than earlier-used methods.

There is one more important use of laser dentistry. When a patient finds that their smile is “too gummy” this new laser is used to remove the extra gum, called gum recontouring. And this procedure is also now far faster, with less pain and far more rapid healing.

The upshot of Waterlase MD laser dentistry is that fewer injections are needed, meaning less numbing and soft-tissue procedures are completed with the least swelling, bleeding and post-op pain. The Waterlase MD effectively eliminates the vibration and heat of a drill, and affords much more minimally invasive dentistry thereby reducing patient fear and anxiety of dental appointments.

You may contact Dr. Kourosh Maddahi now for a free initial consultation. His Los Angeles cosmetic dentist office in Beverly Hills conveniently provides free valet parking.

Everyday, people are experiencing a dramatic change in their appearance simply by having their smile brightened by correcting dull or discolored teeth.   This inexpensive, fast, pain free procedure is the most commonly requested cosmetic dentistry procedure available.  Beverly Hills tooth whitening specialist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, cosmetic dentist, uses the leading whitener, Zoom!™ Advanced Power Plus Chairside Tooth Whitening system.

Lifestyle and the aging process can be visually damaging to your overall smile.  Some of your favorite foods and beverages like coffee, tea, red wine, soda, ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, berry pie or any red sauces can cause your teeth to look dull, stained, irregularly colored and consequently unattractive.   The first impression you make on people can be negatively affected by a tarnished smile.

Teeth whitening should be carefully selected.  In choosing a dentist to help you restore your teeth to a youthful healthy looking condition, it is recommended that you take into consideration the dentist’s aesthetic capabilities.  It takes a keen eye to be able to match the color between teeth so that the overall “canvas” of the mouth is uniform, natural and appealing. 

Dr. Kourosh Maddahi begins the process by carefully finding out what his patient wants in their new smile.  Some people prefer a more natural white color to the teeth, perhaps a bit off-white. Others may feel that a stark, pure white is the look they want.  Many degrees of whiteness can be accomplished and this choice is an important part of the process.

Some skin types will look better with a dimmer shade of white while others may look the best with bright white. Also, some people may have existing dental work that will affect the range of whiteness that can be achieved by the tooth whitening system. These teeth need to be color-matched and it takes an experienced dentist’s keen eye to do a fine job.

Next, before the whitening treatment begins, the choices the patient has made with the doctor’s help can be tested using digital cosmetic imaging. This allows the patient, through the use of a split screen, to see what their smile looks like in the present and what it will look like when the treatment is completed. Dr. Kourosh Maddahi and his patient will “know before they go” with respect to their plan.

The IntraOral™ camera, a very small camera in the shape of a pen, shows with clarity every tooth and gum surface in the mouth. The picture is projected onto a computer screen that both the doctor and his patient can view together. This system is also used to give the patient overall information about their mouth and gain a first hand understanding never before achieved.

Zoom! Chairside Tooth Whitening uses hydrogen peroxide to whiten the teeth by penetrating and bleaching the tooth structure where stains from foodstuffs and tobacco have accumulated.  A light-activated system accelerates penetration into the tooth structure, thereby quickening the bleaching process.

Under Beverly Hills Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi’s impeccable eye - and by utilizing the breakthrough technology of Zoom! tooth whitening, you can have the smile you want in only one hour.

Whenever we experience what we consider physical or emotional pain we can subsequently experience fear and anxiety upon finding ourselves once again facing what looks like the same threat.   For instance, if a dog bites us – all future encounters with dogs could trigger fear and anxiety. Understanding this most fundamental cause-and-effect emotional dynamic, Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, has gone to great lengths to help his patients feel safe while under his gentle care using high tech tools and procedures.

When a person has had the misfortune of experiencing unnecessary pain while being treated by their dentist, they will tend to avoid regular dental checkups and treatment.  It’s not uncommon to hear that someone has not been to his or her dentist in years.  Even though more and more research is coming to the forefront on the correlation between oral health and the overall health of the body, some people will continue to avoid the threat they feel awaits them in the dental chair.

Dentistry has come a long way.  Or more specifically, there is now available to dentists a great array of technological advancements that reduce pain and discomfort.  Some dentists will implement these advancements while others will not.  Some place a high priority on their patients’ overall experience and consider it to be their responsibility to make it as positive, comfortable and gentle as possible - while others are solely focused on the nuts-n-bolts of the treatment and will leave their patients to “cope” with the emotional and physical side effects.

As an example of available cutting edge pain-free technology, let’s look at the Air Drill – which removes surface decay by using air pressure instead of a metal drill.  Imagine a mini sand blaster, but instead of sand - fine aluminum oxide (baking soda) powder is used as the abrasive substance.  Air forces the powder out of a tiny wand using just the right pressure to enable the dentist to eliminate the decay on a tooth.  Because direct metal-on-tooth friction is not occurring, extreme heat is not generated – which means painless decay removal. Painless decay removal means anesthesia is not needed.  No anesthesia, no needles.  No needles, no pain.

Additionally, a patient can have a prior negative dental experience trigger simply by the sound of a whirring drill.  The quiet Air Drill removes that trigger from the equation allowing the patient to feel safe and remain relaxed.

As stated, the Air Drill is used primarily for surface decay.  This drill-free dentistry tool works hand-in-glove with DIAGNOdent, a laser system that finds decayed areas prior to seeing the hole on the surface of the tooth, thereby locating decayed areas that x-rays do not detect.  Drill-free air abrasion dentistry allows the dentist to practice micro-dentistry, the removal of small hard to get to fissure and pit decay.

What Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi has built his practice upon - is his knowledge and commitment to the use of technological advances which enable him to detect decay at it’s earliest stage so that it can be efficiently and gently removed.  The structural integrity of the tooth is not compromised, as is the case when decay goes undetected and becomes a bigger problem.  With these and other advanced technologies, patients no longer need to endure extreme, invasive and painful procedures. 

Recently, a new discovery has been made in the treatment of mouth, face and head pain. This pain is called TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder or TMD. Dentists are fully trained in analyzing pain in and around the mouth, and they can determine if it is from a cavity, an oral infection, or TMD.

Located in the mouth are two of the most complicated joints in the human body: the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). This joint not only allows the mouth to open, but also for the lower jaw to move forward and back, and side to side. Besides the joints, there are many muscles, ligaments, discs and bones involved in those motions. As time wears on these body parts, sometimes a person can get pain in or near his or her jaw.

TMD can be caused by several different scenarios. It can be from arthritis, an impact injury to the jaw, one’s bite (alignment of teeth), night-time tooth grinding or stress. Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of TMD, but there are certain treatments for TMJ problems that can make a huge improvement.

TMJ treatments can include massage in the area of the jaw pain to help loosen up the muscles, in addition to a handling of one’s poor posture – which can lead to misalignment of the neck and back, which are connected to the jaw muscles.

If the dentist determines the pain is a result of poor bite/tooth alignment, braces may be used; tooth reshaping is another popular option. Some dentists will provide pain reducing medicine that will temporarily treat the situation. For certain situations, a dentist may recommend a tooth guard to prevent night-time tooth grinding. Depending on the patient’s particular situation, the dentist may recommend a variety of workable solutions.

Los Angeles area Kourosh Maddahi, DDS, Beverly Hills dentist, will work carefully and thoroughly with you to find the cause of your TMJ and therefore resolve your situation. In the twenty-plus years of practice he has solved many TMJ problems for his patients.

If a trip to the dentist has meant an hour or two of great discomfort, mystery and anxiety you would be one of so many people who actively avoid the dentist. What if it could be painless, precise and stress-free?

Our Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, Beverly Hills gentle dentist, has pioneered the use of drill-free dentistry whenever possible. Drill-free dentistry is described, in the doctor’s words, “as a mini-sandblaster that removes decay without the normal whirring of the drill or the strong smell and no grating vibration. Best of all, it is shot free as no anesthetic is needed with air-abrasion.”

Diagnosis has been simplified too and is much more comfortable. X-rays are taken with a digital system so you can see the results right away and with minimal radiation exposure. The practice also uses Diagnodent, a laser-based system that detects decay invisible to the naked eye and x-ray. Dr. Maddahi believes that our patients should know what’s being done to their teeth, so everything is explained and even shown to you, so it’s less scary.

Now that decay can be detected long before major damage has occurred and given that it can be treated with practically no loss of healthy tooth structure it is possible to keep your teeth in great condition with little or no discomfort. When decay is found, it’s treated and filled with a non-toxic material. Our Dr. Maddahi never uses mercury in his practice.

Drill-free dentistry is pain-free dentistry. It is only sensible to ensure that your dentist is gentle and see him sooner rather than later. Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, Beverly Hills gentle dentist, will show you a new kind of dentistry, rarely experienced.

OK, so you do not like to go to the dentist? What is it that you find you have an aversion to there?

What if you did not have to have your teeth drilled every time that your dentist found a cavity? Our Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, a high-tech dentist in Beverly Hills has the answer!

Drill-free dentistry, by air-abrasion, is like a mini sandblaster aimed to take the decay out of the tooth with a fine aluminum oxide (baking soda) powder.  Dr. Maddahi says drill-free air abrasion dentistry is every patient’s dream.  No vibration, no burning smell (the teeth never get hot), no whining drills, and no anesthetic required. 

It’s almost no dentistry! 

Drill-free dentistry goes hand-in-glove with DIAGNOdent, a laser system that finds decayed areas prior their to even appearing as a hole on the surface of the tooth, thereby locating decayed areas that x-rays will not detect.  Drill-free air abrasion dentistry allows Dr. Maddahi to practice micro-dentistry, the removal of small, hard to get to, fissures and pit decay.  Prior to this technology the dentist had to remove healthy tooth structure in order to clean out a tiny hole in a tooth. 

Before these recent high-tech developments in dentistry, dentists were programmed to “watch” teeth like this because using the tools available would cause the loss of too much tooth structure to get out the decay.  Now with micro dentistry’s air abrasion technique the decay can be delicately removed without the large loss of healthy tooth structure.  The only limitations of this instrument are the skill of the operator. 

Additionally, sealants can be securely bonded to the clean, dry, surface that is delicately created by air abrasion drill-free dentistry.  This protects the tooth from any further decay.

Located in the mouth are two of the most complicated joints in the human body: the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). This joint not only allows the mouth to open, but also for the mandible (lower jaw) to move forward and back, and side to side. Besides the joints, there are many muscles, ligaments, discs and bones involved in those motions. As time wears on these body parts, sometimes a person can get pain in or near his or her jaw.

This pain is called TMJ disorder or TMD. Dentists are fully trained in analyzing pain in and around the mouth, and they can determine if it is from a cavity, an oral infection, or TMD. TMD can be caused by a large number of scenarios. It can be from arthritis, an impact injury to the jaw, one’s bite (alignment of teeth), night-time tooth grinding or stress. Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of TMD, but there are certain treatments for TMJ problems that can make a huge improvement.

TMJ treatments can include massage in the area of the jaw pain to help loosen up the muscles, in addition to a handling of one’s poor posture – which can lead to misalignment of the neck and back, which are connected to the jaw muscles. If the dentist determines the pain is a result of poor bite/tooth alignment, braces may be used; tooth reshaping is another popular option. Some dentists will provide pain reducing medicine that will temporarily treat the situation. For certain situations, a dentist may recommend a tooth guard to prevent night-time tooth grinding. Depending on the patient’s particular situation, the dentist may recommend a variety of workable solutions.

Kourosh Maddahi, DDS, Los Angeles dentist, will work carefully and thoroughly with you to find the cause of your TMJ and therefore resolve your situation. In the twenty-plus years of practice he has solved many TMJ problems for his patients.

Beverly Hills dentist, Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, explains, in depth, the relationship between illness and periodontal conditions.

The news lately has been filled with frightening stories that link oral bacteria and oral disease to a variety of serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses. The subject isn’t really new. Dentists have long known that there is a strong relationship between oral health and general health. For example, tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs not only affect overall health but oral health as well.

“Persons who suffer with dry mouth—a lack of saliva—whether from age, disease or medications, are at increased risk for tooth decay.”, explains Dr. Maddahi.  “And if you have oral pain or can’t eat properly, you won’t get the nutrition your body needs to stay healthy.  It’s not news that the mouth is connected to the body. The mouth often times is the location used to diagnose, make a prognosis, treat and intervene on a host of diseases.”

For example, some researchers have found that periodontitis (the advanced form of gum disease that can cause tooth loss) is associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke and bacterial pneumonia. Other research has found that pregnant women with periodontitis may be at increased risk for delivering babies that are pre-term, have low birth weight or both.

Dr. Maddahi further explains, “Although reports suggest that periodontitis may contribute to these conditions, you should know that just because two conditions occur at the same time, it doesn’t necessarily mean that one causes the other. These conditions and diseases are complex.  Oral health must be considered an important part of overall health but scientists are still studying how closely the two are connected.”

Our Dr. Kourosh Maddahi, top Los Angeles cosmetic dentist, answers the most asked questions about dental hygiene and dental health. Perhaps these are questions you have wondered, yourself?

Is it really important to brush your teeth after every meal?  “Ideally, we would all brush out teeth after every meal.  If you can’t brush after a meal, try chewing sugarless gum, to clean off the teeth.”

How often should I bleach?  “It is best not to bleach your teeth more often than once a week.  If you become aware of an increase in sensitivity, stop bleaching until all sensitivity has gone away.  Also, if you notice that your teeth begin to  look chalky white, it may mean they have been dehydrated due to too much bleaching. If you woudl like to have in-office tooth whitening in our Beverly Hills office, it takes only a few hours and is very thorough. ”

Is smoking bad for gums?   “Gum disease is characterized by inflamed gums that recede from the teeth and often leads to tooth loss.  And it has been proven that smokers are six times more likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers. Some researchers in England, observed a group of smokers with gum disease and found that the some of their symptoms improved in the ones who quit smoking during the study.”  

Why is flossing important?  “Brushing alone does not remove all plaque from your teeth and plaque can lead to tooth decay.  Flossing removes the plaque in between the teeth where a toothbrush doe not reach and it also helps to remove food that is caught between the teeth.  Flossing can help to control bad breath, also.”

Should I brush or floss first?  “It is not important whether you floss first or brush first.  Do whichever seems most logical to you.  But do floss at least once a day for two to three minutes, to be most effective.”

What makes teeth sensitive, even if no decay exists?  “Sometimes the top layer of a tooth, the enamel, has been lost or lessened.  This being the protective layer of the teeth, if it is missing it allows heat, cold, acidic or sticky foods to stimulate the nerves and cells inside the tooth, causing hypersensitivity and some discomfort. Also, receding gums can be the cause of sensitivity.”