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Specialties

RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY: Restorative dentistry is the foundation of the dental field. This basically includes all phases of dentistry that will allow someone to "restore" their mouth back to the way it was originally intended to be, after whatever damage has occurred. Dr. Tamaki is a perfectionist. Dr. Tamaki does not take short cuts. Dr. Tamaki uses only high quality dental materials. That may sound simple, but there are dentists that don't take pride in their work. In the past, teeth used to be restored (filled) with silver amalgam, which contains the heavy metal MERCURY. Dr. Tamaki does not use silver amalgam for that reason. In other words, he does NOT use silver amalgam for anything at all. Although current thinking is that all amalgam fillings do not necessarily need to be replaced, Dr. Tamaki, does however believe that a faulty amalgam filling, either not done properly, or is failing due to breakdown or leakage, is in fact dangerous to your health. If an amalgam filling is breaking down, you may be ingesting particles of mercury and other heavy metals contained in the old silver amalgam, including zinc, tin and copper. These heavy metals have been implicated as having a toxic effect on the body, and possible other diseases may be either initiated or allowed to proceed. The standard alternative to a silver filling is composite, which is the white colored bonding material that has worked out very nicely for Dr. Tamaki, ever since the year 1998, the year Dr. Tamaki eliminated silver amalgam from his office. Dr. Tamaki has received many many compliments from patients, hygienists, and other dentists regarding his ability to restore teeth with composite. Composite restorations are a technique-sensitive procedure in which the quality of the result is directly proportional to the skill and the experience of the dentist. The other alternatives for a filling include gold and porcelain. These are "indirect" procedures that will require a dental lab. Dr. Tamaki only uses the best dental laboratories to facilitate his work. There have been significant improvements in the quality of porcelain over the last 5-10 years. If a tooth is badly broken down, Dr. Tamaki can restore the tooth with a crown. If teeth are missing, the space can be restored with a bridge or an implant crown. There are many possibilities as options and Dr. Tamaki will inform you of what is best for you.

COSMETIC DENTISTRY INCLUDING BLEACHING, ALL PORCELAIN CROWNS, LUMINEERS AND PORCELAIN VENEERS:
Cosmetic Dentistry in the 21st century encompasses many different aspects. In a nutshell, cosmetic dentistry is like the plastic surgery for the teeth. There are many procedures and treatments available to the patients nowadays. One of the most popular is Zoom 2 bleaching. Zoom 2 is the next generation bleaching technique that was rated one of the two best in office bleaching techniques by clinical researchers. Dr. Tamaki has tried several bleaching systems, with Zoom 2 having the best results. This procedure takes about an hour and your teeth are white and bright. Another way to improve your smile is by placing Lumineers on your teeth. Lumineers are very similar to porcelain veneers but are contact lens thin, and can be done WITHOUT ANY DRILLING OR ANESTHETIC (in about half the cases). Please see some of our before and after pictures in the before and after picture section. Some people will need some drilling and some anesthetic, depending on how your teeth are situated and aligned. The results are simply fantastic and you can pick a shade as white as you want. The same goes for porcelain veneers. Almost the same procedure except anesthetic is usually required. You can have white and sexy looking teeth in a matter of days. This is a remarkable, fabulous procedure.

All porcelain crowns are getting very popular. With the advent of the E MAX porcelain, Dr. Tamaki is now more confident than ever he can achieve phenomenal aesthetics while resting easy that the porcelain will be strong enough to endure the normal eating habits of most people. This is a very exciting new development in dentistry. Come in for a smile evaluation. Watch for specials posted regularly.

The following pictures represent before and after Lumineers placement cases performed at the Den Mat Lumineer facility in Santa Maria, California.

Before	After

Before	After

Before	After

The following are cases performed and completed at the office of Dr. Robert B. Tamaki in Los Angeles, CA (Westchester)

Case #1: Porcelain crowns were placed on the patient's front two top teeth to restore them and create a beautiful aesthetic appearance.

Before	After

Case #2: Dr. Tamaki placed Porcelain Veneers on the patient's front 4 top teeth to create a beautiful, aesthetic white smile!

Before	After

Case #3: Dr. Tamaki placed Lumineers on patient's top 6 front teeth to create a beautiful, aesthetic, white smile. (Sorry, photography could be much better)

Before	After

IMPLANT SUPPORTED RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY: Dr. Tamaki has been restoring missing teeth with implants (the restorative portion, not the implant itself) since 1995. This was the year that significant improvements in both the placement success of implants seem to occur, as well as the restorative portion of implant restorations. Dr. Tamaki works in conjunction with skilled oral surgeons, who will actually place the implants. Once the implants have been allowed to fix securely in the bone, Dr. Tamaki has restored dozens of cases where teeth have been replaced. The implant crowns are so esthetic that it is the exception when a case varies from the rule that they cannot be distinguished from your natural teeth. If you have a single missing tooth, or several missing teeth, most of the time they can be replaced with implant supported restorations that are permanent. These implant restorations have a much better long term prognosis that conventional crowns and bridges.

IMPLANT SUPPORTED PARTIAL DENTURES AND IMPLANT SUPPORTED COMPLETE DENTURES:
Yes, Dr. Tamaki can fix that loose denture or loose partial denture. Special attachments can be designed in order to anchor your partial denture or complete denture so that it is stable. They are similar to a snap on clasp on your clothing, but imagine much stronger.

MAINTENANCE AND PERIODONTAL (GUM) NON SURGICAL TREATMENT:
Yes, Dr. Tamaki's dental office is a FULL SERVICE DENTAL OFFICE. We have 2 hygienists who are there for you to keep your teeth sparkling clean and your gums healthy and clean as well. Did you know that they are now linking (literature in the Journal of the California Dental Association and American Dental Association) the plaque in the mouth on the teeth with the plaque that forms in the arteries of your heart. Dr. Tamaki, in his own informal studies has documented that people with increased amounts of tooth plaque are much more likely to arteriosclerosis, and therefore high blood pressure. The same bacteria that are found in the plaque of the mouth have been also isolated in the plaque in the arteries of the heart. It has absolutely been proven that bacteria can get into the bloodstream during a dental procedure involving bleeding. Therefore, it is highly advantageous that clean, healthy gums are present when doing any restorative procedure. Maintaining your dental health is achieved primarily by regular cleanings in our office and good home oral hygiene. We can treat gum infections with non surgical gum therapy with scaling and root planning, sometimes known as a deep cleaning. We also utilize a procedure which involves a product called Arrestin, which is an antibiotic that is injected underneath the gums, usually concurrently with the deep scaling and root planning. This usually results in better healing that if the scaling and root planning was done without using the Arrestin. We have been getting phenomenal results with this product and have saved many a person from having to have periodontal (gum) surgery.

GENERAL DENTISTRY INCLUDING ROOT CANAL TREATMENT AND EXTRACTIONS:
In the old days, general dentists performed all procedures. In today's dental field, dentists perform most procedures, including root canal therapy and extraction of teeth. We now live in the age of specialization. Dr. Tamaki has performed hundreds of root canals over the past 20+ years. Although there is no dentist that has a 100% success rate, Dr. Tamaki has about a 95% success rate, which is very good. Dr. Tamaki has also performed hundreds of extractions over the years. If there is a situation that requires special attention, Dr. Tamaki will refer you one of the highly skilled specialists he has worked with over the many years. If Dr. Tamaki does not feel he can perform any procedure up to the standard of care, he will refer you to a specialist who can. Some of the more difficult procedures may be done under conscious sedation with Nitrous Oxide (Laughing gas). This is a type of analgesia that is totally reversible after treatment with the administration of pure Oxygen. Nitrous Oxide analgesia provides a significant reduction of any anxiety that is present. We can also prescribe medication prior to treatment if necessary. These additional procedures are rarely needed.