Santa Barbara Dental Spa

Staff

2004 Santa Barbara News-Press Article on Dr. B.K. Rai

B. K. Rai, D.D.S.
Welcome to Santa Barbara Dental Spa. Dr. Rai is committed to providing his patients the best Oral Health care and a beautiful smile utilizing the latest technology in a soothing, spa atmosphere. As an active member of the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr Rai specializes in Smile Evaluation and Smile Enhancement as well as Full mouth reconstruction including crowns, Bridge work and Implants. As a member of The TMJ and Gnathology club, Dr Rai routinely treats many patients with Bite problems including grinding of teeth and TMJ related symptoms. In addition, Dr Rai is certified to perform dental procedures under sedation to make your visit completely painless and stress free.

Dr. Rai Graduated from Bangalore Dental College in India in January 1978 obtaining a Bachelors Degree in Dental Surgery
Completed one year of internship after graduation
Completed a Masters program in Operative Dentistry and Endodontics from 1980 to 1983 and obtained the Masters Degree
California Licensure Exam at Loma Linda University in 1987
Worked as an Associate dentist in Los Angeles from 1987 to 1988
Private practice in Santa Barbara from April 1988 to present
Completed the Intra Venous sedation program at USC School of dentistry in 1995 and is one of the very few dentists to have an Intra venous and conscious sedation license.
Member of American Dental Association
Member of American Academy of General Dentistry
Member of California Dental Association.
Member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and is currently pursuing an Accreditation and Fellowship with the AACD
Member of Santa Barbara Periodontal Study Club for 6 years
Member of Gnathology and TMJ Club for 4 years
Successfully completed the UCLA Aesthetic Continuum in 2007.
Completed the Dental Implant course
Attended many courses on Cosmetic Dentistry, Prosthodontics and Implantology over the years
Successfully practiced all aspects of Dentistry for many years

Linda Taylor, RDH, LMT,
Hygienist, Aromatherapist
Linda graduated with a dental hygiene degree from Idaho State University in l966. She has worked in general practice most of the time with a 3 years at a Santa Barbara, micro-surgical periodontist practice. She decided to balance dental hygiene with a harmonious whole body experience and studied Massage Therapy in 1987 at the Santa Barbara School of Massage and the Body Therapy Institute along with numerous week-end classes. These studies allowed Linda to see the body-mind-emotion connection more completely. In l990 she decided to incorporate Aromatherapy into her massage routine, opening to a whole new world of delightful information about nature and the nature of humanity. She has recently come to learn through her continuing education in dental hygiene the amazing connection of oral hygiene and the health of many other facets of our overall health. It is quite exciting for her to bring this new information to her patients in a holistic arena. It is also nice for her to have the co-operation and encouragement of Dr. Rai to create a harmonious and comfortable alternative environment for the dental experience while providing the most up-to-date cutting edge understanding of the mouth and it's relationship to the entire body. I'm looking forward to getting to know you.

Sara Anna Tagliaferri,
Manager
Sara is our Office Manager here at Santa Barbara Dental Spa. Sara has several years of experience working as a Manager for other well known established business owners here in Santa Barbara. Sara is currently working to integrate the newest techniques and materials that will help make your Dental experience a memorable one. Sara, along with our team here at Santa Barbara Dental Spa, is looking forward to meeting with you and is dedicated in providing you with the best service possible.

Niki Rarig, Massage Therapist
Originally from the small beach town of Cayucos on the Central Coast of California, Niki has been practicing massage since 2001 in the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo areas. Niki has a background in spa massage and has worked for a physical therapist, so her touch is both pampering and therapeutic. While obtaining a degree in Religious Studies at U.C. Santa Barbara she came to greatly appreciate the long history of natural healing methods present in cultures across the globe, even spending time abroad to study religious and spiritual healing practices in South Africa. After graduating from U.C.S.B. she decided to take her massage training and undergraduate degree a step further, and is now preparing to attend naturopathic medical and accupuncture school.