Irvine Dentist - Xerxez Calilung 949-551-5600 www.dentalarts.com

A blog within a Blog

2010-09-12T22:08:00.000-07:00

Here's the new link to my new blog that I started using Mac's iWeb software.

My new Blog

Check it out!

Coffee - It may even prevent cavities!

2010-09-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

Coffee May Help Prevent Cavities
ScienceDaily (Mar. 8, 2002) — A new research study indicates that coffee might help prevent cavities. The finding is reported in the Feb. 27 print issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

I drink one cup in the morning and a cup in the afternoon. Of course everything in moderation is the general rule. There are plenty of health benefits that coffee offers, but add cavity fighting to the list!

-Xerxez

Eat more YOGURT! It's good for you.

2010-09-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

Cures Bad Breath: Yogurt is a natural cure for bad breath and can reduce halitosis by up to 80% in subjects. Levels of plaque and gingivitis were found to be lower among daily consumers of yogurt.

I have recommended this to my patients and they have reported great results.

Schedule a dental appointment online now!

2010-08-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

Give our online dental appointment scheduling online now! Hope you find it easier and more convenient. Dr. Calilung

Clear Orthodontic Aligners

2008-10-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

A few of my patients have expressed interest in straightening their teeth, but do not want the traditional wires and brackets of the traditional orthodontic treatment. Although, clear orthodontic aligners have limitations that are limited to 1.crowded upper arch 2.upper arch spacing 3.rotated upper incisor 4.crowded lower arch 5.generalized lower spacing 6.and trapped lower lateral....use of the aligners are quite successful when worn for the proper time recommendations.
The all-new Simpli5 is your fast and simple aligner system for minor-to-moderate anterior crowding or spacing. Simpli5 consists of up to five sequential trays for dual- and single-arch cases. Each tray generates up to 1/2mm of movement, or 5mm overall for a dual arch case.
I have had wonderful results for my patients that have undergone this treatment modality and you might be a candidate if your teeth are comparable to the pictures in my orthodontic examples. Please give us a call at 949-551-5600 for an evaluation. All the best, Xerxez.

Office Tour - Dental Arts of Irvine

2008-10-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

Nitrous sedation - relaxing dentistry

2008-10-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

If you are someone who fears going to the dentist, then nitrous sedation might be something that can help you transition from that fear that keeps you from getting regular dental care. Nitrous oxide is mixed with oxygen in a safe combination so that you can relax during your dental procedures. Nitrous oxide is a gas that you inhale through a nose-piece while routine dental procedures are performed. It has no lasting effects when you stop inhaling the gas and usually takes about 10 minutes of breathing regular oxygen and air to get back to your normal daily routine. Couple this with your favorite music while listening to your ipod and you will find an effective way to get relaxing dentistry done.
Hope this helps. Give us a call at 949-551-5600 if you have any questions regarding this safe and effective procedure to help with your fear of dentistry.
All the best,
Xerxez

Dentures - Making the decision

2008-10-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

Choosing to have a complete denture whether for upper or lower teeth or both is a difficult one to make. There are psychological factors that can prohibit you to make this decision. The fear that our friends and family may judge us differently if they see you in dentures and just the overall association of dentures with aging may delay us in making the proper decision for our health.
Joe is a patient of mine and he has been struggling with his dental health and poor chewing ability. He has a great set of lower teeth, but his upper teeth have not fared well. Most of his teeth on the top were loose and a few were infected to the point where his overall health was suffering. He experienced lots of fatigue and uneasiness when eating. He also had some alignment issues on his teeth where he had gaps in the front teeth and he also had an overbite that he wanted corrected.
I assured him that we would be able to address all his concerns. t
The day came when we had to remove the remaining 8 teeth that was in his upper jaw. I asked him if he was ready emotionally to have this procedure done. At first he said he was ready... but he paused for a moment and weighed the pros and cons of the procedures but finally decided that his health and well being was more important than any perceived emotional barriers.
He left that day with a new set of dentures placed immediately after the removal of the bad teeth.
Its been one week now and every time I see him he smiles more and more. He reports that the best thing is his wife smiles and stares at him all the time. He even reports to have had an increase in self-confidence because he does not have to worry about his smile.
One interesting thing he mentioned that before his dentures, he really did not like to talk to people and stay for long conversations. He says that his bad teeth and his self-consciousness may have prevented him from being more social with people.
He wanted me to share his story with others thinking about making the decision to have dentures. He said that for him, it definitely was the right choice.
Thanks Joe for letting me share your story. All the best to you and your new found confidence and smile!
Xerxez

Happy 16th Birthday Katarina!

2008-09-15T14:35:00.002-07:00

Happy 16th Birthday to my daughter Katarina.

-love always, Dad

2008-09-15T14:35:00.001-07:00

Student Intern in a dental office environment

2008-09-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

I have been involved in dental education since 1993 when I first started teaching part-time at the USC School of Dentistry. I always wanted to share my knowledge with the students to help them become better practitioners. I find that the reward and satisfaction I receive from teaching far outweigh the effort in the actual teaching process. USC started a dental office externship program that let the students spend time with the dentist in the dental office setting. I have extended the program to include students wanting to attend dental school and help encourage students in realizing their desire for the dental profession. Albert Kang is a current intern in my office and I can see that his desire for the profession coupled with the knowledge and skills that I observe during his internship in my office will make him a fantastic dentist in the future. Comment to Albert: You even look like a dentist! Best of luck to you.

Xerxez Calilung

Conscious sedation for dental procedures

2008-09-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

My sister calls me from Seattle asking me to treat my 3 year old niece's cavities. I pause for a moment and think back on the many times I have provided dental care for children under 5 years old. While the dental procedure by itself is not difficult, the behavior and anxiety management for the child can become challenging at best.
I have worked with many anesthesiologists in the past since 1990, but my recent reunion with my college friend and also well respected pediatric anesthesiologist has me praising his abilities in providing a safe and comfortable environment for both my niece and myself during her dental procedure. His name is Dr. Shariar Alikhani and he assured me before the procedure that I would have a dental environment that makes it 100% safe for the patient. I can confirm his claims because he made a procedure that would normally take 2 hours because of the difficulty of working on a sedated patient and we were done in about one hour.
His anesthesia equipment is state-of-the-art and he works with an anesthesia tech to assist him with his anesthesia delivery.
I would highly recommend this type of dentistry for young children with anxiety and behavior management issues as well as adults who want to have dentistry provided in a comfortable anesthesia induced sleep environment. The picture attached is a recent photo of my 16 year daughter and my 3 year old niece.
Xerxez Calilung

Welcome to Irvine Dentist Blog - Xerxez Calilung

2008-08-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Around 2004, I updated the http://www.dentalarts.com website which included a blog and a discussion forum. My first attempt was good but I encountered a few glitches in the blog program where unwanted spammers were using the program to send unwanted emails from my web-hosting email account. My patients and friends enjoyed the information I shared but my troubles chased me away from pursuing my blogging efforts. Many thanks to Google for providing this opportunity to share my knowledge and thoughts in a safe environment with my friends and patients.
Xerxez Calilung - Your friendly neighborhood Irvine dentist